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COPYRIGHT DEPGSffi 




EDNA EUGENIA LOWE 



HEALTH RULES 

and DANGER SIGNALS 



EDNA EUGENIA LOWE 



Published by 

THE PLATFORM 

The Lyceum and Chautauqua Magazine 

64 E. Van Buren St. 

CHICAGO 

1916 






Copyrighted 1916 

By Edna Eugenia Lowe 



in 



1916 



(©CI.A4531 



To all those who are interested in the rules of health, the 
prevention of sickness and the promotion of hygienic living; 
to those who are willing to aid nature in her work by the 
adoption of a system of daily exercise; and to all teachers 
who are seeking to know how to develop, in their pupils, 
physical as well as mental efficiency; this book is affection- 
ately dedicated. 



"Health and Happiness come to 
us not as rewards of merit but 
as proofs of worth. They are 
not recompenses for abnegation 
but natural satisfactions in nor- 
mal life, incalculable results of 
real deserving." 

— Bliss Carmen 



PUBLISHER'S FOREWORD 

BY 
FRED HIGH 

Col. George W. Bain wrote a book and those of us 
who have heard the grand old man eloquent who has 
never failed to touch our lives and to inspire us to 
higher thoughts and nobler ideals prize that book be- 
cause we can read more into it than the printer w r as 
able to crowd upon its pages. Long after Col. Bain 
shall have passed away, thousands will hear again 
and again his matchless eloquence as we read his book 
and contemplate his noble ideals. 

We believe that the time has come when the book- 
maker can give an author the same introduction to 
the reading public which is given to a speaker, or 
lecturer about to address an audience. We create an 
atmosphere for an artist, for a musician, for a reader, 
why not do as much for an author? We inform an 
audience of the merits of a lecturer, point out his 
claims upon our attention and we believe it is just 
as wise to introduce an author to his or her readers 
for we know from personal experience the enhanced 
value that a book has to one who knows the author. 

We have prevailed upon Miss Lowe to allow us 
to break down the barriers of custom, therefore we 
present her in this publisher's foreword with the one 
purpose of giving each reader that personal interest 
which always accompanies even a slight acquaintance 
with an author. We believe that thousands who have 

[5] 



formed a passing acquaintance with Miss Lowe as a 
chautauqua lecturer, reader, (and director of play) ; 
thousands who know her as teacher and friend will, 
after reading this publisher's foreword, all the better 
read into her writings that same enthusiasm, scholar- 
ship, high purpose, and splendid idealism, which has 
always actuated her. 

Miss Lowe has been one of the genuine successes 
and benefactors of the chautauqua fraternity. Mr. A. 
L. Flude of the Chautauqua Managers Association, 
who for years has handled her chautauqua bookings, 
pays her his tribute : 

"It has been recognized by every representative on 
the Chautauqua Managers Association force that Miss 
Edna Eugenia Lowe has been giving the Chautauquas 
more real service in proportion to the fee than any 
other speaker. I have knov/n her in exceptional 
cases, where a committee was in need, to give a health 
lecture each day for a week, present each afternoon 
at four o'clock, an hour's program of readings, take 
charge of a woman's class of hygiene each day, and 
then find time to direct the children's hour. That, 
of course, was an exceptional case. But the most ex- 
ceptional fact about it is that whether it is her read- 
ings or her lectures, or her class work, whatever she 
undertakes seems to stand out as just a little better 
than anything of the kind which has been presented 
before. I know of no one who seems able to carry 
as heavy a load and carry it so easily and so effectively 
as Miss Lowe. Her splendid physique emphasizes the 
correctness of her health gospel. Her charm of per- 
sonality adds effectiveness to her platform messages. 
Her perseverance and mentality insure that her efforts 

[6] 



either upon the platform or in authorship will be 
altogether worth while/' 

Miss Lowe is a graduate of the Northwestern Uni- 
versity School of Oratory. She was Director of Phys- 
ical Education and Instructor in the department of 
Oratory in Carleton College, at Northfield, Minnesota, 
for five years. At present she is a member of the 
faculty of the Highland Park College, Des Moines, 
Iowa, where she is Director of the Physical Education 
for Women and an Instructor in the Oratory School. 
She is both student and teacher. 

In my younger days having stood on the threshold 
of the great beyond with a doctor's permit to die 
of consumption before spring, having in life's race 
been handicapped by sickness and constant pain, hav- 
ing been able to build up my own body and mind by 
following many of the same suggestions as set forth 
by Miss Lowe, it is, therefore, with more than ordi- 
nary interest that we undertake the publication of this 
splendid volume. 

To the rules, exercises, practices, and formulas Miss 
Lowe presents should be added this one thought 
which should permeate your every act. It is found 
concealed in one of the Proverbs of Solomon, "A merry 
heart doeth good like medicine," and since the advent 
of the Beauty Doctor makes homeliness unethical and 
unnecessary, it may be well to remember that "A 
merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance." 

It does even more, for as Robert Burton, in his 
famous Anatomy of Melancholy, says : "Mirth purgeth 
the blood, confirms health, causeth a fresh, pleasing, 
and fine color, prorogues life, whets the wit, makes 

[7] 



the body young, lively, and fit for any manner of em- 
ployment.'' 

To those of you who look to "Dr. Merry" for your 
prescriptions, we firmly believe that this volume re- 
veals the secrets of how to enjoy health, happiness, and 
spiritual prosperity and a casual obedience to its man- 
dates will prolong your days upon the earth. 

Since doctors have to show their credentials before 
they are allowed to practice and since this volume is 
nothing short of a "Home Physician," it is no more 
than right that we should present here the credentials 
of the author with the hope that these credentials will 
aid each one who reads this volume to extract as 
much benefit from the author's philosophy and teach- 
ings as I received from a slight acquaintance with 
them even when only partially understood and prac- 
ticed. 



[8] 



PREFACE 

For the past six years I have been talking to Chau- 
tauqua audiences on the general subject "Danger 
Signals on The Road to Health," endeavoring to call 
attention to some of the laws of health most frequent- 
ly broken, and trying to show how many of our com- 
mon ills might be prevented or overcome by right 
living. 

From year to year there has been an increasing- 
demand for the lectures and exercises in printed form 
but I have hesitated because part of my material has 
been taken from books of prominent authors, and is 
not entirely my own. Much of it, however, has been 
obtained from my own study and some has come to me 
from my teaching experience. 

I am especially indebted to Dr. William Latson, 
who was, for many years before his death, editor of 
the Health Culture Magazine and who is the author 
of several excellent books on health subjects. 

After much persuasion by friends, and audiences 
with whom I have worked each year, I have finally 
taken what I consider the best from several systems 
of Physical Training, added many suggestions of my 
own, and am now. bringing to them, in this little book, 
what I hope may prove to be, some practical hints 
on the Art of Keeping Well. 



[9] 



Whether or not the reader will agree with me, if 
this will only start him to thinking and investigating 
for himself, the mission of the writer will have been 
accomplished. 

Realizing, too, the value of including Physical Edu- 
cation in the school curriculum and knowing that 
many teachers have had no preparation for this work, 
it has seemed wise to devote a part of this book to 
suggestions, corrective exercises, games and drills for 
the benefit of teachers who may be interested in de- 
veloping in their pupils, healthy bodies as well as 
trained minds. 



[10] 



INTRODUCTION 

Health is the most precious gift in the world, and 
yet how little it is appreciated until disease steps in 
and for a time usurps its place. Then there comes a 
realization of what a strong healthy body means. 

It is almost impossible to get people to give atten- 
tion to the laws of nature until sickness and suffering 
have crossed their pathway and forced them to face 
the consequences of their own misdeeds ; then, and 
usually not until then, are they ready to give some 
thought and effort to right living. 

Many times each year has the writer of these pages 
been told, "I am perfectly well; why should I listen 
to your health lectures.'' The old adage, "An ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure," is applicable 
here as well as in other places. Such a person should 
be grateful for good health, and willing and eager to 
take steps to preserve it. I believe sickness never 
comes unless Nature's laws have been broken. In 
other words, I believe if we could perfectly under- 
stand the rules of health and could obey them implicit- 
ly, that sickness could be entirely banished from our 
lives. But in our modern civilization, in the rush of 
our busy lives, we are drifting away from the laws of 
Nature, and we find no time for health rules until 
necessity demands that we call ?. halt and take an in- 
ventory of our habits of living: then, often, we find 

mi 



that we have wandered so far from the right way that 
the backward journey is a slow and difficult one. 

After studying the laws of health and noting how 
the majority of Americans live, the wonder is not 
"Why are people sick?" but rather, "Why are they 
not always sick?" Yet in many cases, it is ignorance 
rather than lack of interest that is responsible for 
mistakes in living. Many are seeking help and are 
anxious to follow the suggestions when once they have 
been made clear. For such, books and magazines 
on health subjects are of vital importance and it is 
the aim of the writer to make the directions in the 
following chapters so clear and simple that all can 
understand, and so practical that all can follow. 

Others approve of the health rules but say they 
are too busy to put them into practice. This argu- 
ment is rather a weak one for we have all the time 
there is, and it is only a question of how we dispose 
of it. ( We usually make time for the things we most 
want; if health is what we really desire, we will take 
time to cultivate it when once our interest is aroused. 

I believe, too, that severe sickness never comes 
without Nature's having sent out her danger signals as 
a warning that something was wrong with the bodily 
mechanism. These various signals, pain, headache, 
backache, indigestion, tired, sluggish feelings are such 
common ailments that they are usually considered 
of no consequence and are passed by unheeded. 
True, they are not serious in themselves, but they 
are symptoms of more serious troubles which are 
likely to follow unless the cause of the difficulty is 
found and removed. With a little study and atten- 

[12] 



tion on our part many of these signals can be inter- 
preted and successfully treated in the home. Simple 
hygienic methods of living, deep breathing, bathing, 
diet, water drinking, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine, 
will often work miracles toward restoring health and 
happiness, and the best part of all is that they can be 
had by all "without money and without price/' And 
yet, their very cheapness and abundance work as a 
disadvantage. If they could be put up in capsules at 
some far corner of the earth and sold at a great price, 
people would rush pellmell after them, and purchase 
and use them in large quantities ; but it is hard to re- 
alize that anything so cheap and so common really 
has intrinsic value. 

Hygienic living is being emphasized in our colleges 
today; courses in physiology, anatomy, and practical 
hygiene are being offered and Physical Education is a 
required subject in many schools. It is to be hoped 
that the day will soon come when it will be intro- 
duced into the grades and high schools all over our 
land, for it is the growing child that most needs this 
training. While the bodies are developing, and reg- 
ular habits are being formed, courses in physical train- 
ing and hygienic living are far more practical and val- 
uable than in later life when the muscles have lost 
their flexibility and daily habits have been established. 
To-day, the first year in the college gymnasium is 
largely devoted to the correction of physical defects 
caused by bad habits formed in the grades and high 
schools. Many pupils are permitted to graduate from 
our high schools without a word having been said to 
them about the carriage of the body, the correct sitting 
position, proper breathing or other laws of hygiene 

[13] 



and the result is, except for the few that enter our 
colleges, that they go into their life work with round 
shoulders, depressed chests, protruding shoulder 
blades, or spinal curvature, any of which mean low 
vitality and a lack in general efficiency. 

The importance of physical education and right 
habits of living is demonstrated by the improvement in 
the general health of students after a year or two of 
training. To those who have not witnessed or ex- 
perienced these changes in the physical condition, the 
splendid things accomplished can scarcely be credited, 
but every year from our colleges go thousands who 
are willing to testify that the value of such w r ork can 
scarcely be overestimated. 

But if your school days are over and you have not 
been offered these subjects, do not feel that your 
chances for health culture are gone. To be sure, your 
progress will not be so rapid as it would have been 
in the earlier days when the muscles were more easily 
trained, and habits were being formed, but atten- 
tion to right living, and a little systematic practice 
each day will do much toward preserving health, if 
you are still well, or leading you back to health if you 
have wandered away. 



[14] 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Frontispiece 

Page 

Exercise III 33 

Exercise IV 34 

Exercise V 51 

Exercise VI 52 

Exercise VII 69 

Exercise VIII : 70 

Exercise IX 87 

Exercise X 88 

Exercise XI 105 

Exercise XII 106 

Rocky Mountain Climbers' Club 
Chautauqua Camp Scene 

Ladies' Rest Tent 123 

Scarf Fantastics 124 

Venetian Floral Dance 
May Pole Dance 

Queen of the May 141 

Children's Free Morning Hour Work 
Mother Goose Spectacle 

Spanish Dance 142 



[15] 



CONTENTS 

Preface 

Introduction 

I Poise — Standing Position — Sitting Position — 
How to Sit Down and Rise from a Chair — 
How to Climb Stairs — Poise May be Main- 
tained in Stooping Position — Exercises for 
Poise — Improper Poise Causes Displaced 
Organs — Exercises to Restore Displaced Or- 
gans. 

II Walking— Some Bad Habits— Weight Trans- 
ference — Heel Striking — Narrow Base — Spe- 
cial Exercises Designed to Overcome Faults 
in Walking. 

III The Elimination of Bodily Waste — The Five 

Eliminating Organs. 

IV Breathing — The Work of the Lungs — How to 

Teach Proper Breathing — How to Obtain 
Lung Power— Exercises for a Daily System 
of Practice — Exercises for Muscular Flexibil- 
ity — Additional Exercises for Gj'mnasium 
Use. 

V The Liver — Symptoms of a Deranged Liver — 
Causes of Liver Disorder — Treatment for 
Liver Trouble — Special Exercises to Aid the 
Liver. 

VI The Skin— Bathing— How—When. 

VII The Bowels — Constipation — Causes — Treatment 
— The Internal Bath — Exercises for Constipa- 
tion. 

[16] 



I 



VIII The Kidneys — Causes of Kidney Disorder — How 
We May Aid Them in Their Work. 

IX Nervousness — Symptoms — What Nervousness 
Means — Causes — Treatment — Relaxation Ex- 



ercises. 

A Few Suggestions About Sleep- 
somia — Treatment. 



-Causey of In- 



XIII 




XI Indigestion — Some Bad Habits in Regard to Food 
— Quantity — Mastication — Eating when Fa- 
tigued — Mental State Affects Digestion — Eat- 
ing at Too Frequent Intervals — Eating on 
Trains — Violent Exercise Near the Meal 
Hour. 



Colds — Causes of the Ordinary Cold — Treatment 
— How to Harden the System x\gainst Colds. 

Suggestions to Teachers of Physical Education 
— What to Work For in Each Class Period — 
Qualifications of a Good Physical Director. 

How and When to Exercise. 

Exercises for Muscular Development — Muscles of 
the Arms and Legs — Muscles of the Abdomen 
and Back. 

Games for the Playground and Gymnasium Use. 

Special Drills for Exhibitions — May Pole Drill — 
Scarf Fantastics — Rose Drill — Veteran Floral 
Drill. 

XVIII Special Drills for Gymnasium Use — Pole Drill, 
Wand Drills, Nos. 1, 2 and 3— Dumb Bells 
(Anvil Chorus) and Advanced Drill, Medicine 
Ball Movements. 



[17] 



Lao-tse, a Chinese philosopher born about five hundred 
years before Christ, said: "You can, have neither a great- 
er nor a lesser dominion than that over self!' 



[18] 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 19 

POISE 
CHAPTER I. 

Standing Position — Natural poise means, of course, 
an erect position of the body, with the weight well 
forward on the balls of the feet, hips and abdomen 
held back, chest forward and high and head erect, but 
many people, in striving to retain this position, tense 
the muscles of the back and acquire a stiff, unnatural 
carriage. Backache, a waste of nervous energy and an 
unattractive appearance is usually the result. The 
back muscles should never be held tense and if you 
persist in doing so, Nature is certain to send backache 
as a danger signal. 

Years of experience with students in the gymnasium 
has convinced the writer that the less said about prop- 
er carriage the better, for when the mind becomes 
centered on the personal appearance, the standing 
position, or the walk, the individual becomes self-con- 
scious and awkward. 

Let the teacher remind the student frequently to 
lift the chest high, to be tall, and then give daily exer- 
cises which will throw the body into the proper at- 
titude without calling attention to it. If these ex- 
ercises are continued for a time the person will un- 
consciously take the correct posture and the muscles, 
free from tention, will become strong enough to hold 
the body in place. 

If you are in doubt about your poise, rise to tiptoe 



20 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

and then come slowly back to position, holding the 
weight forward where it naturally falls, then lift your 
chest and you will be standing correctly. This is a 
reliable test, and you will find, if your weight is for- 
ward on the balls of the feet and your chest is raised, 
that your hips and abdomen will take care of them- 
selves. Just as soon as the weight sinks back upon 
the heels, poise is lost; every organ is tipped out of 
place and every function is likely to be impaired. 

It is a mistake to tell the round-shouldered child in 
the home to throw his shoulders back, for the result 
usually obtained from following this instruction is 
tense back muscles, and protruding shoulder blades. 
Tell him, rather, to lift his chest, "hitch" his chest, 
as well as his "wagon, to a star" and he is far more 
likely to assume the correct position. 

Sitting Position. — It is just as important that you 
sit correctly as it is that you stand correctly. Sit 
well back in the chair with chest erect. Be careful 
not to slide forward and sit on the backbone. This 
is a vulgar, and far from an attractive position, as well 
as a very harmful one. The weight of the upper 
body causes pressure on the nerves at the base of the 
spine, and every organ in the trunk sags downward 
out of its proper place. The lungs are crowded, mak- 
ing it impossible to breathe freely and deeply; the 
heart action is made difficult because of the crowded 
condition and the stomach, liver, intestines and kid- 
neys are hampered in their important work by lack 
of room and by poor circulation. 

It is necessary that the chair in which you sit dur- 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 21 

ing working hours be of trie proper height. Children 
in the school room should be placed in seats where 
they can sit well back and still have their feet resting 
on the floor. Much spinal trouble is caused in this 
way by carelessness on the part of the teacher. 

How to Sit Down and Rise from a Chair. — When 
sitting down, place one foot flat on the floor and well 
back against the chair, then by bending the knee of the 
same leg sway the body gently back upon the seat, 
keeping the chest erect. To rise from the chair place 
one foot flat on the floor, drawing it back close to the 
seat, then by pressing downward with that foot gently 
lift the weight, still keeping the chest erect. This 
leaves the other foot free to take the first step in 
walking. Many people have a decided chest move- 
ment both in sitting down and rising from a chair. 
This is unnecessary. You will find, with a little prac- 
tice, that perfect poise can be maintained here as well 
as at other times. 

Keep Poise While Climbing Stairs. — Stair climbing 
is an excellent exercise if correctly done, but many 
people suffer with backache because of wrong habits 
in this regard. 

The usual tendency is to run up the steps on the 
balls of the feet and in a stooping posture. This 
crowds the heart and lungs, and puts the burden upon 
the muscles of the back instead of upon the calves 
of the legs where it belongs. 

The fact that you are panting for breath and that 
the heart is beating with unusual rapidity when you 



22 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

reach the top of a flight of stairs, or a hill, proves the 
first statement. The normal action of these organs has 
been interfered with and they are trying to make up 
for it. If the heart and lungs ever need room and free- 
dom, it is when climbing an elevation. 

If you doubt the second statement, place your hands 
on the back midway between the waist line and the 
base of the spine, run up stairs in the usual manner 
and feel the pull on those muscles. Then try the 
following suggestion and notice how the muscles of 
the back are relieved and how the leg muscles go 
to work. Place the entire right foot flat on the step, 
then by a slight upward springing motion with the 
left foot lift your weight up, then place the left foot 
flat on the next step and with another slight spring 
make the right leg lift your weight, keeping the chest 
erect all the time. If you have not been using this 
method of stair climbing the muscles in the calves 
of the legs will probably become sore and ache at 
first, an indication that they are weak from non-use 
and need development. They will soon adjust them- 
selves to the work if you persist in using them. The 
muscles of the back were never meant for work of 
that nature and their aching is a danger signal sent out 
to remind you of the mistake. 

Poise May be Maintained in a Stooping Posture. — 

When stooping to pick up some article from the floor, 
always bend the knee next to the object, and you will 
find it very easy to keep your balance, and then when 
you come back to erect position the other foot is free 
to take the next step in walking. If the article is on 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



23 



your right and you bend your left knee as you stoop 
for it, the line of balance is broken and you are likely 
to have difficulty in maintaining or regaining your 
equilibrium. You will find, too, that you appear to 
much better advantage by bending the knee as you 
stoop, than by bending forward from the waist line 
with knees stiff, as many people do. This is a little 
thing of course, but it is the little things in our gener- 
al appearance which make pleasing or disagreeable 
impressions on those about us. 

Exercises for Poise. — Below are a number of poise 
exercises, which, if practiced faithfully, will bring the 
body into proper position and will, by so doing, im- 
prove not only the general appearance but the general 
health as well. 



I 

Rise slowly to tiptoes, hold a few seconds, come slowly- 
back to place, keeping the weight well forward on the balls 
of the feet. 

II 

Place right foot out at the right front diagonal without 
weight (4 counts), slowly transfer weight with the chest 
leading you forward, (4 counts), rise to tiptoes and hold 
(4 counts), weight down (4 counts), weight back to left foot 
without changing the position of the right foot (4 counts), 
again rise to tiptoes (4 counts), weight down and feet to- 
gether (4 counts). 

Repeat placing left foot forward. 



Ill 

Place right foot out at right diagonal (4 counts), transfer 
weight to right foot, chest high (4 counts), lift right arm up 
to right front diagonal, lift left foot off the floor and 



24 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

stretch left arm back downward toward rear left diagonal. 
Hold the position from (4 to 8 counts), the right arm 
stretching firmly upward toward ceiling and the left arm 
and leg stretching back downward toward floor. Position 
(4 counts). 
Repeat placing left foot, forward. (See Figure III.) 

IV 

Stand, chest high, hands on hips, slowly raise the right 
leg up in front of the body keeping the knee straight. Raise 
as high as 3 r ou can without straining back or abdominal 
muscles, and hold position for a few seconds, then slowly 
bring it back to place. This must be done slowly and stead- 
ily. This exercise is not only beneficial for the control of 
poise but is especially good for strengthening the muscles of 
the abdomen and back.. 

V 

Same as IV using the left foot. 

VI 
Same as IV bring right foot out to right side. 

VII 
Same as VI bringing left foot out to left side. 

VIII 

Place right foot forward without weight, place finger tips on 
the chest, and spring weight lightly forward to right foot, 
bending right knee low, at the same time throwing arms out 
at sides and raise chest high toward ceiling with head thrown 
back — then spring weight lightly backward to left foot, bend- 
ing left knee low and bring finger tips back to chest, chest 
still held high and head thrown back. 

Keep chest strong and high during the exercise, do not 
bend toward right or left. Work for lightness and airiness 
of movement, coming up to tiptoes with each spring. This 
is a beautiful exercise when properly done, and if combined 
with deep breathing, inhaling as you spring forward and 
exhaling as you go back, it has a double value. (See Figure 
IV.) 

IX 

Stand, feet wide apart, hands on hips, rise to tiptoes and 
come down to a squat position —hold a few seconds, then 
come back to erect posture. 



_ 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 25 

Improper Poise Causes Displaced Organs. — Sag- 
ging, displaced organs is one of the most common 
causes of disease. Each organ in the trunk is held 
in place by ligaments or supports and in direct rela- 
tion to every other organ. These supports, when in 
a healthy condition, have elasticity enough to allow 
the organs to rise and fall when a person is running, 
or jumping, and yet restore them to their proper 
place and hold them there. But when these organs 
are crowded down and held down hours every day 
by improper sitting or standing positions or by im- 
proper clothing, lack of room for free motion inter- 
feres with their work ; the blood cannot circulate 
freely and furnish these ligaments with nourishment; 
and shallow breathing, caused by the cramped, stoop- 
ing chest, keeps the lungs from doing their work prop- 
erly, so that the blood that does reach these supports 
is likely to be full of poison instead of life-giving 
elements. Thus in time these ligaments become weak, 
they lose their elasticity and allow these organs to sag 
downward and stay out of place. 

This is one of the most frequent causes of painful 
menstruation. The vital organs are crowded down out 
of their places, and they, in turn, crowd the pelvic 
organs so that free circulation is impossible. Thus 
these organs starved for lack of nourishment and 
poisoned by bad blood become weak and congested. 

It is a very common occurrence in gymnasium work 
for young women, who have suffered severely at the 
menstruation period, to get decided relief and often 
be permanently cured by a system of upward stretch- 



26 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

ing movements which tend to lift the organs up where 
they belong, thus giving each one a better opportu- 
nity to perform its particular function, and making it 
possible for the blood to circulate freely and provide 
nourishment, and at the same time remove and pre- 
vent an accumulation of poisonous waste. 

Stretching Exercises To Restore Displaced Organs. 
— Below are a few exercises especially designed to 
lift the organs upward to their proper place in the 
trunk. 



Stand, feet together, inhale, at same time bringing arms 
upward in front of body, palms downward, until they stretch 
toward ceiling above head. Look upward and try to touch 
an imaginary object just beyond reach. Hold stretch as long 
as you can hold breath, then exhale and relax. Never strain 
in stretching work. 

II 

Stand, feet together, inhale, bringing arms up at the sides, 
palms down. Stretch firmly from side to side, and hold 
stretch as long as you can hold breath, then exhale and 
relax. 

Ill 

Place right foot forward at right diagonal, shift weight 
forward, inhale, at same time raise right arm to upward right 
diagonal. Look up and try to touch finger tips to an 
imaginary object just beyond reach. Hold stretch as long 
as you can hold breath, then exhale, and relax. Same on left 
side. 

IV 

Lie flat on the back, arms above head flat on floor. Inhale 
and stretch from finger tips to toes, holding stretch as long 
as you can hold breath, then exhale and relax. 

V 

Lying flat on back, inhale and stretch from right foot 
to finger tips of left hand, both leg and arm lying flat on 
floor. Exhale and relax. 

Reverse the stretch, stretching from left foot to right 
hand. 

This diagonal stretch reaches muscles which the straight 
stretch fails to And. 



HEALTH RULES AND DAXGER SIGNALS 27 

Why We Should Act. 

Throughout this volume., many suggestions are given 
in regard to health rules, diet, exercise and the various 
things which help to keep this bodily machine running 
smoothly, most of them a prevention of sickness rather 
than a cure, although simple home treatment is suggested 
in a few instances. If you will give some of them a trial 
it is certain that you will consider it time and effort well 
expended. 

We have made great headway in our battle against 
tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and other contagious diseases. 
But we are falling far. short of even holding our own 
when it comes to the organic troubles such as Bright's 
disease, heart and kidney affections, apoplexy, and 
other like causes of our taking off. These are on a 
frightful increase. We have decreased the death rate 
considerably; but this saving has been made by our in- 
creasing skill in preserving the lives of children under 
five. By neglect to practice simple precautionary meas- 
ures we have materially increased the death rate in per- 
sons over thirty. The decreasing rate among children 
is partly due to improved housing conditions. It is aston- 
ishing the effect which apparently trivial things may have 
upon the life and happiness of the race. For instance, 
the United States Department of Labor reports that in 
homes where water had to be carried in from out doors 
the infant mortality was 198 per 1000, ^as against 118 
per 1000 where water was piped into the house! Such 
phases of the health question are for economists and 
sociologists. Individual health is a< matter of individual 
care. It is to aid in the battle for health and happiness 
that these pages are presented. 



28 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



WALKING 

Some Bad Habits and How They May Be Overcome 

CHAPTER II. 

Walking is an excellent exercise when done cor- 
rectly and under proper conditions. 

Women are often hampered by high heels, and long, 
narrow or heavy skirts. Any article of clothing which 
interferes with freedom of motion is a menace to 
health. 

In these days of automobiles, walking for exercise is 
fast becoming a lost art, and the general health is suf- 
fering because of it. Many people, especially those 
whose work keeps them indoors a large part of the 
time, would be greatly benefited by a good, brisk 
walk in the open air each day. To get the best re- 
sults from walking you should get off from cement 
walks and pavement and come in contact with Mother 
Earth. If this is impossible have rubber heels put on 
your shoes. This will do away with some of the jar- 
ring produced by striking the heels upon the hard 
surface. 

Below are a few suggestions in regard to walking 
which may be helpful. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 29 



First, work for proper poise, holding the chest high and 
the head erect. 

II 

Learn to transfer the weight. The whole foot should be 
placed flat on the floor without weight, then the weight 
transferred with the chest leading. Study a little child 
learning to walk if you want a good example of this. The 
child will place one foot forward, then very slowly, and 
with difficulty, balance the weight over the forward foot be- 
fore trying to take the next step. 



Ill 

Do not strike the heels. The above method of weight 
transference does away with heel striking which is very 
injurious for two reasons. First, it is a continual drain on 
the nervous system, and it causes a constant jarring of 
the organs of the trunk, stretching and weakening the 
ligaments which hold them in place, and often bringing 
about a displacement or downward sagging of the organs. 



IV 

Walk with narrow base. In correct walking the heel 
should cut a straight line, and the toes should point outward. 
Try walking on a crack in the floor and see how nearly 
your heels come to striking the mark, or better still, walk 
a few steps in the snow, and then go back and see how 
far apart the heel lines are. A narrow base does away with 
pigeon toed walking, and with the pronounced hip move- 
ment or waddle which we frequently see. 



Use the legs only, keeping the upper body, the part above 
the waist line, quiet. The legs should swing freely from 
the hips, the length of the step being determined by the 
height of ihe person, but both health and grace demand a 
loose, free swing of the leg in walking, and the knee, of 
course, should not bend. 



30 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Exercises for the Correction of Faults in Walking. 

Below are some special exercises which, if used fre- 
quently in class work, will tend to overcome these 
various faults, the aim being to throw the body into 
the proper position without constantly calling at- 
tention to the faults themselves. 



I 

Slow, rhythmic walking. Right foot forward without 
weight (4 counts), transfer weight, chest leading (4 counts) 
then left foot forward (4 counts) etc. Work for rhythmic 
movements, with no jerkiness, taking the entire four counts 
for each part. Place hand on chest and feel the expression 
die out as foot goes forward and chest sinks downward, 
then as weight goes forward the chest full of energy and 
expression should come up under the hand. 

Next try two counts instead of four to each part, and 
finally, but one count when the exercise is well worked out. 

II 

Place hands on hips, swing ri^ht leg freely forward (2 
counts) swing it backward (2 counts) forward again (2 
counts) then while foot is forward take a step, (2 counts). 
Same with left foot. Keep chest erect, and perfectly quiet 
and work for freedom of leg motion. The knee should not 
bend as the leg goes backward. 

Ill 

—•Hands on hips, cross right foot over left knee (2 counts), 
touch right toes lightly to floor in front (2 counts), cross 
right foot over left knee again (2 counts) then step lightly 
forward with right foot (2 counts), watching weight transfer- 
ence. Same with left foot. Have good sprightly music 
for this and aim to give up to the music and make the 
exercise as graceful and artistic as possible. 

IV 

Hands on hips, swing right leg forward in a free circle 
from the hip, touching right toes to the floor oa the left 



HEALTH RULES AND DAXGER SIGXALS 31 

side of the body (4 counts), swing right leg back and around 
in a free back circle, touch toes to the floor on the left 
side (4 counts), swing right leg forward again in a front 
circle touching toes to left side (4 counts), then take a 
step (4 counts). Same with left leg. Keep the knee straight 
and work for a loose, free, swinging motion. 



Hands on hips, bend right knee and raise right foot from 
the floor (2 counts), stretch leg straight forward toward 
the front (2 counts). Place right foot forward on floor with- 
out weight (2 counts), slowly transfer weight (2 counts). 
Same with left foot. 

VI 

Touch toes of right foot lightly to the floor in front three 
times (3 counts) bend right knee and hold foot up on fourth 
count, trip lightly forward three steps with right foot leading 
(3 counts), and hold left foot up with knee bent, on the 
fourth count. Then touch toes of left foot three times, etc., 
continuing the movement. Work for lightness on feet and 
strong chest work. 

VII 

When Xo. VI is well worked out, make it more difficult 
by taking the three tripping steps and then wheel and rear 
face on count four. Give the order thus: — Touch right foot 
three times, hold on four, run three steps, wheel and rear 
face on four, touch left foot three times, hold on four, trip 
forward three steps, wheel and rear face, etc. Pivot to- 
ward right when weight is on right foot, and toward left 
when on left foot. 

This is a difficult exercise for it requires good poise to 
make the sharp turn, keep one's balance and be ready to 
start with the other foot on the next count. 

VIII 

Same as VI, combining a hand motion, thus: — Hands on 
hips, touch toes three times, hold foot up on count four, 
run three steps, at the same time clapping hands in front of 
body, then back of body, then front again, placing hands on 
hips as you hold foot up on count four. 

This requires much practice and better still, much men- 
tal concentration, and when mastered will be one step to- 
ward bringing the muscular system under the control of the 
mind. 



32 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

IX 

Just the same as VIII excepting that the hands are to be 
clapped first above head, then back of body, then above 
head, and placed on hips on fourth count. 



Same as IX clapping hands forward, then above head, 
then behind body, and on hips on count four. 

The object of this kind of work is to get mind and body 
working together, mental control over the physical. 



XI 

Have class join hands in a large circle, hop on right foot, 
at same time crossing left foot above right knee, then hop 
on left foot crossing right foot over left knee, advancing 
toward right with each hop. Work for lightness on feet, 
spring high but catch the weight and endeavor to make no 
noise as foot touches the floor. 



XII 

When the class has worked out No. XI, combine the 
sideward twist of the body, turning well toward right when 
you hop on right foot, then toward left as you hop on left 
foot. 

This varies the exercise and gives an excellent liver squeez- 
er movement at the same time. 

This drill works out best with 4/4 time. Each movement 
should be used from six to twelve times according to the 
judgment of the teacher. 




FIGURE III 



[83] 




FIGURE IV 



[34] 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 



THE ELIMINATION OF BODILY WASTE 
CHAPTER III. 

By elimination we mean casting out of the body all 
that is superfluous and injurious. There are two 
kinds of waste matter forming daily; waste from the 
dying cells, the broken down tissues of the body, and 
waste which comes from the food. In nearly all kinds 
of food there are portions incapable of being digested 
and assimilated and should, therefore, be promptly cast 
out of the system. We sometimes compare this waste 
to the chaff which comes from the grain, or the ashes 
from the coal. In either case the useful parts are 
taken out and utilized, and the remainder is cast 
aside. On the promptness of this eliminating process 
depends the health of the person concerned. Internal 
cleanliness means a healthy body. Internal unclean- 
liness means disease and suffering, the name of the 
disease being dependent on the particular portion of 
the body affected by the poison, and the effort of the 
system in trying to get rid of it. 

Bouchard, a French pathologist, after years of care- 
ful study and investigation, tells us that .there is 
enough poison manufactured every few hours in a nor- 
mal, healthy body to cause instant death if retained 
in the blood and tissues. He tells us, also, that if 
every eliminating organ is in perfect condition, prop- 
erly caring for the bodily waste, that they are just 
about able to cast off the poison and keep the body 
clean. 



36 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

The finest particle of dust in the delicate works of 
a watch will throw it out of order. Think then, how 
the intricate mechanism of this bodily machine must 
be affected by the waste matter which is constantly 
clogging it. 

There are five organs designed by nature for this 
important work, the lungs, liver, kidneys, bowels and 
skin. The liquid poison of the blood is acted on by 
the liver and expelled through the skin and kidneys, 
and the gaseous poisons removed through the lungs., 

The following suggestions will help to show how 
we, by simple, natural, hygienic living, and a system 
of free exercise, may aid these organs in their work 
and, by so doing, take a long step toward permanent 
health and efficiency. 




HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 37 



BREATHING 

The Work of the Lungs 

CHAPTER IV. 

"He lives most life who breathes most air.'' Few 
people who have not had special training in the gymna- 
sium or in some kind of voice culture, are good breath- 
ers ; most of them gasp instead of breathe. 

Breathing is one of the most important parts of 
the bodily organism. Every function is dependent on 
the blood for nourishment, and the blood, in turn, is 
dependent on the lungs for purification and oxygen. 
The blood comes to the lungs every few minutes laden 
with poison which it has picked up in its circuit around 
the body. If you are a deep breather, the poison is 
thrown off and fresh oxygen is carried back to the 
blood, but if you are a gasper, part of the poison is re- 
tained, and but a small amount of oxygen taken in, thus 
the body is both poisoned and suffocated. 

Men, as a rule, are better breathers than women, 
due to modes of dress. Any article of clothing which 
interferes with the free expansion of the diaphragm, 
or that has a tendency to draw the shoulders forward, 
prevents normal breathing and therefore injures 
health. Corsets and tight skirt bands with women 
and heavy coats with men often hinder nature in this 
respect. 



38 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Proper Breathing. — Imagine that you have on a 
rubber girdle about twelve inches in width, six inches 
above and six inches below the waist line. Take a 
short breath, stretching the girdle well, hold that 
breath and inhale once more, stretching the girdle as 
far as possible without straining, hold that also, and 
inhale again, this time filling up to the top of the 
lungs, — exhale. 

Place hand over the imaginary girdle and be sure 
that it expands and contracts. In this manner the 
attention) will be directed to the expansion of the en- 
tire diaphragm, rather than to any particular set of 
muscles, as is often emphasized in breathing instruc- 
tions. It is a simple effective method and can be 
taught to children as easily as to adults, and if there 
are no restrictions from tight clothing, free normal 
lung expansion will result from the practice. 

Always inhale and exhale through the nose. Air 
that is taken in through the nose is warmed, moist- 
ened and purified while that which goes in through the 
mouth is cold, dry and full of impurities. Mouth 
breathing is always a danger signal indicating ade- 
noids or some obstruction of the air passages. A 
specialist should be consulted and the difficulty re- 
moved, if possible, else the general health will suffer. 

How to Obtain Lung Power. — Many people go 
through life with drooping shoulders and cramped 
chests, which means shallow breathing and low vital- 
ity. This condition is usually brought about by im- 
proper dress or incorrect poise in sitting or standing. 
Many occupations of daily life make this stooping 
position necessary for hours during the day. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 39 

This causes the shoulders to droop, and the muscles 
which hold them in place become weaker and weaker 
until the person is unable to maintain an erect car- 
riage. It then becomes necessary to resort to 
shoulder braces or exercises which will pull the 
shoulders back to place and restore the muscles to 
normal strength. Shoulder braces will give no per- 
manent relief and should be strongly advised against. 
As long as they do the work, holding the shoulders 
up, the muscles themselves will become more weak 
and flabby. Use makes a muscle strong, non-use 
makes it weak. 

To get lung power it is necessary, first, to 
raise and develop the chest so that there will be room 
for the lungs to work, for they can expand to the sides 
of the muscular box, or chest in which they are con- 
fined, and can go no farther, no matter how faithfully 
you practice deep breathing. 

Whenever necessity demands the stooping position 
several hours daily, it seems only reasonable that 
something should be done to counteract the influence 
and draw the shoulders back where they belong. 

Here are a few r simple exercises designed to 
strengthen weak muscles of the chest and shoulders, 
thus raising and broadening the chest and giving the 
lungs more room in which to expand. Many exer- 
cises could be given for this purpose, but there are 
certain muscles which we want to reach, and for a 
system of daily practice, a few exercises wisely planned ♦ 
will bring results as well as an elaborate course. 



40 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Exercises for a Daily System of Practice. 



Stand, weight on the balls of the feet, inhale, bringing the 
arms up in front of the body, (palms down), until finger 
tips stretch upward toward ceiling. Hold the stretch a few 
seconds, then exhale, forcing arms back and down, crowding 
shoulder blades together until they meet in the back. Keep 
the elbows straight and the weight forward on the balls of 
the feet during the exercise. There is always a tendency 
to bend backward as the arms go back, thus putting the pull 
on the muscles of the abdomen instead of on those of the 
chest where it belongs. 

Try to remember nose breathing and free lung expansion 
while practicing. 

II 

Stand, weight forward, inhale, bringing arms up at sides 
(palms up) until finger tips meet above head. Exhale, forc- 
ing shoulder blades together as arms go back. 

in 

Place finger tips on the front of the shoulders, bringing 
elbows forward in a front circle until wrists meet in front of 
chest, inhale again, bringing elbows on up toward ceiling, 
thus completing the half circle, — exhale, forcing elbows on 
around toward rear, shoulder blades meeting in the back. 

The elbows should make a complete circle in this exercise. 
This is especially effective when some one grasps the elbow 
and forces them around for you. A much freer motion and 
a firmer pull on the muscles is thus obtained. (See Figure V.) 



Exercises for Flexibility. — For adults whose mus- 
cles have become set and tense, a few exercises for 
flexibility will aid greatly in this work. 



Stand erect, inhale and clap hands first in front of the 
♦ body as far out as you can reach, then behind the body as 
far as you can reach, continuing as long as you can hold 
breath, then exhale. Repeat several times. 




HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 41 

Be careful to keep body erect, for there is always a tend- 
ency to bend forward as arms go backward, thus relieving 
the muscular pull for which we are striving. 

II 

Swing right arm forward, then up and around in a big, 
free circle. Continue swinging until the arm feels as if it 
would fly out of its socket. 

Then try the left arm until you get the same freedom of 
motion; then swing both arms together. 

Ill 

Place right foot well forward at the right front diagonal, 
inhale, throwing weight forward, at the same time swinging 
both arms out and up to the right diagonal, then sway weight 
backward to left rear diagonal, look backward and swing 
arms backward and upward with the weight. 

Continue this movement, swaying weight forward and 
backward, until arms are swinging loosely and without 
effort. Work for freedom and looseness of motion. This is 
a very valuable exercise, for if correctly done every muscle 
in the body is brought into play. (See Figure VI.) 

Additional Exercises for Gymnasium Use. — The ex- 
ercises already given in this chapter are all that are 
necessary for general practice, but for the benefit of 
teachers who must work for variety in order to inter- 
est the pupils, I am adding a few excellent breathing 
exercises which can be successfully used in class work. 



Inhale, raise shoulders, stretching upward from the waist 
line, lower shoulders, still holding the breath, then exhale. 

II 

Place right foot in front of body without weight, place 
hands, palms downward, in front of chest with elbows bent, 
(Fig. VII) inhale, spring weight forward to right foot bend- 
ing right knee low, at the same time thrust hands forward 
to parallel position, palms still down (Fig. VIII). Now 
exhale, springing weight back to left foot, and taking a wide 
swimming stroke with the arms, bringing hands back to place 
in front of chest (Figure VII again.) 

Repeat, placing left foot forward. 



42 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

III 

Stand, feet wide apart, hands on hips, inhale, bending 
slowly forward from the waist line, keeping eyes on ceiling. 
Exhale coming back to place. Be sure to keep eyes on 
ceiling, for this forces the head back and stretches the long 
muscles of the trunk. (Figure IX.) 

IV 

Same as Number Three, bending to right and left side with 
eyes on ceiling during the exercise. 



Stand, feet wide apart, bend forward and place backs of 
hands together between knees, inhale, come up to erect posi- 
tion, sweeping arms upward to overhead, keeping the backs 
of the hands together,' as arms come up in front of body. 

Stretch firmly upward, then bend forward once more, 
sweeping arms downward, out at sides and back to place 
between knees, exhaling as you come back to place. Here 
we have the liver squeezer, and the upward stretch combined 
with the muscular work. (Figure X.) 

VI 

Stand, feet together, clasp hands together behind body 
(locking the ringers), inhale, forcing the thumbs down to- 
ward the floor and on out toward the rear, the palms of the 
hands down. Exhale, turning thumbs back to position. (Fig. 
XI.) 

Be sure to force the thumbs down, do not raise them 
upward as you will be inclined to do. For round shoulders 
and drooping chest, it would be difficult to find a better ex- 
ercise. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 43 

THE LIVER 
CHAPTER V. 

Few people pay any attention to the liver until it 
gets out of order and causes trouble, then on investi- 
gation they learn that that organ has been constantly 
abused and overworked until Nature can endure it no 
longer and is forced to interfere. 

The liver, with possibly the exception of the kidneys, 
is the most abused organ in the body. About rive 
quarts of blood passes through it every minute, and if 
the amount of blood purified by the liver in a day's 
time could be measured, it is estimated that it would 
amount to about sixty barrels. The liver plays an 
important part in both digestion and elimination, for 
after purifying the blood, the waste substance called 
bile, instead of being cast aside, is used to help digest 
the food. Thus we find a waste product utilized. 

The liver is long suffering, and many danger signals 
are sent out to warn a person of its sluggish condi- 
tion before serious symptoms appear. Below are a 
few of the signals. 

Symptoms of an Overworked Liver. 
Dizziness — If reaching upward causes things to 
turn black before your eyes and makes you light head- 
ed or dizzy it is usually Nature's warning to you 
that the liver is clogged and needs attention. This 
dizzy feeling often comes when you stand erect after 
sitting or lying down. It is almost a certain sign 
of an overtaxed liver. 



-14 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Sallow Skin or Liver Spots. — If the skin has a sal- 
low, yellow color or if little brown blotches appear on 
its surface, usually on the face or neck, it is an indica- 
tion that the liver is unable to perform its normal 
function and the skin has assumed some of the respon- 
sibility. It is a danger signal which should not be 
passed by unheeded. 

A Dull Heavy Ache In The Region of the Liver. — 

Another indication of liver disorder is a sluggish, un- 
comfortable feeling often felt on the right side above 
the waist line, sometimes in the front and sometimes 
in the back of the body. It is seldom a sharp pain 
but more usually a dull ache or a feeling as if a heavy 
pressure were being exerted on that portion of the 
anatomy. 

Drowsiness. — If you feel drowsy and stupid, es- 
pecially after meals, it is usually an indication that 
you are eating too much and exercising too little, and 
that your liver is paying the penalty. 

Causes of Liver Disorder. 

Next let us consider some of the more common 
causes of liver disorder. 

Improper Dress. — Any article of clothing snug 
enough to retard the circulation, or stiff enough to 
interfere with perfect freedom of movement, hinders 
the liver in its work. Corsets, tight girdles, and tight 
skirt bands must be placed in this class. 

Dr. Susanna W. Dodds, in one of her books on 
health, has this significant paragraph, "The abdom- 
inal walls are soft and yielding. Below the ribs there 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 45 

is no bony frame work to resist external force, and 
anything which constricts these parts is bound to 
press upon the liver and other organs, and interfere? 
with their functional action. We laugh at the Chinese 
who bandage and deform the feet of their women. 
But we shut our eyes to the fact that American girls 
and women, by their modes of dress, distort organs 
which are far more essential to life and health than the 
foot. This is a shame and a disgrace to our civiliza- 
tion." 

Xot until w r e can create in the hearts of women, 
a greater respect for these bodies, which St. Paul 
terms, "The Temples of the Holy Spirit," and less 
respect for the fads and fallacies of changing fashion, 
can we hope to make advancement in dress reform. 
And until women are willing to use good sense and 
good judgment in their modes of dress, they are 
bound to be, to a certain extent, a race of weaklings 
and easy prey to the surgeon's knife. 

Overeating. — Overeating always means overworked 
organs and the liver is apt to have to bear the brunt 
of the burden. The excessive use of fats and sweets 
must be especially guarded against, for when there 
are more of these foods than the system requires, 
the liver makes a strenuous effort to gather up and 
care for the surplus, and in doing so it is often over- 
worked, and becomes enlarged, congested and often 
times inflamed. Neither should starches be partaken 
of too freely, for in the process of digestion starches 
are changed into glucose, a form of sugar, and this is 
very clogging to the liver. 

All this emphasizes the importance of a balanced 



46 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

ration so that the system will not be clogged by a 
surplus of any one type of food. 

Lack of Free Exercise. — If you study liver disorder, 
you will find that it seldom comes to the person whose 
daily labor calls for free bending and twisting move- 
ments, and especially if this work is done in the open 
air. For instance, the man who works on the section 
or who pitches bundles in the harvest field, or the 
woman who scrubs floors for a living, is not the man 
or woman who complains of a sluggish liver. Neither 
is liver disorder common among children, for in romp- 
ing, jumping, twisting and squirming about in their 
free play, the liver is kept stirred up and active. 

It is the sedentary worker or the one who stands 
for hours of the day with no free exercise who usually 
has trouble of this nature, and it is with just such 
people that we plead for a system of daily exercise, 
in order that the blood may be kept circulating freely 
and the organs assisted in their work. 

Treatment for Disordered Liver. 

Now we come to the most practical part of the 
chapter. What are we going to do to prevent the 
liver from becoming sluggish, and if it is already in 
bad condition is there anything we can do to relieve 
it? There are several very simple things which come 
within the range of every person really interested 
enough to give the suggestion a trial. 

Correct Your Habits of Diet. — Study your own 
eating habits and find out what is wrong. If you 
are a victim of a sluggish liver you will have to guard 
against the excessive use of sweets, starches and fats 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 47 

and substitute fresh vegetables and acid fruits for a 
time at least. The blood is usually too thick in su^h 
cases and the fruit juices will help to dilute it. 

In serious cases a short fast is beneficial. If you 
feel that you must have food, eat sparingly and choose 
foods which tax the digestive and eliminating organs 
as little as possible. 

Drink Plenty of Water. — Free water drinking is 
helpful, and a weakened solution of lemon juice, about 
a half a lemon to a glass of water, and without sugar, 
will help to unclog the liver and start the bile to flow- 
ing. It is usually best to take this in the morning 
about a half hour before eating and the last thing 
before retiring at night. 

Give Attention to the Other Eliminating Organs. — 
See that these organs are caring for their share of the 
poison so that the liver is not overworked, and in case 
of jaundice and serious liver disorder, it would be 
well to give these organs a little extra work for the 
time being and let the liver rest and get back to 
normal condition. Aid the skin by frequent warm 
bathing with an occasional sweat bath ; flush the kid- 
neys by drinking plenty of water ; and be sure that 
the bowels are acting freely. A daily enema is a 
wonderful assistance at such a time. Keep up deep 
breathing in the open air so that the lungs can throw 
off their full share of waste. 

Adopt a System of Liver Exercises. — The following 
exercises, if faithfully practiced, will do much toward 
keeping the liver active and in order. However, one 
must be comparatively strong in order to stand them, 
and in case of jaundice or serious liver affection, you 



48 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

should begin very gradually for the liver may be en- 
larged or congested and too strenuous treatment some- 
times causes injury. 

Exercises to Aid the Liver. 

I 

Stand, raise arms above the head and let them fall heavily 
downward and backward as far as they can go, swing them 
back up over the head and let them fall downward again. 
Continue this until the arms are swinging freely and loosely 
upward and downward without effort. Work for looseness 
and relaxation. Then combine the head motion, swinging 
head back as arms go back and letting it drop forward as 
arms fall downward. When you have mastered this so that 
the neck muscles are relaxed, combine the muscles of the 
shoulders and chest, making a slight bow as arms come 
downward. Continue, making a larger bow each time until 
the entire upper body is sweeping downward and the finger 
tips finally touch the floor. 

Then when you have learned to let go of the muscular ten- 
sion, combine deep breathing. Hold the breath as long as 
you can without straining, then let it go and take in another 
breath. 

II 

Stand, feet wide apart, throw both arms around to the 
right, letting them wrap limply around the body, then throw 
them around to the left. Continue flopping them from side 
to side until all stiffness has left them and they are wrapping 
around the body like a cloth wraps around a clothes line on a 
windy day. Then, gradually begin twisting the body around 
from left to right, working in unison with the arms. Turn 
farther each time until you are twisting as far around to each 
side as possible. Then combine the deep breathing, holding 
the breath as long as possible without straining, then let 
it slip away and inhale again. 

First try wrapping arms around your waist, then bend for- 
ward and wrap them around the knees, then when you have 
learned to do this fairly well, bend farther forward and try 
wrapping them around the ankles. 



Ill 

Stand, with feet wide apart, place hands on hips, inhale 
and bend first to the right side, then to the left. Bend as 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 49 

many times as you can while holding the breath, then exhale 
and repeat. 

If you bend the right knee as you bend toward the right 
and the left knee as you bend toward the left you will rind 
that you get a much freer bend of the body from the waist 
line. 

IV 

Exercise No. Ill in the chapter on Breathing, under the 
head "Exercises For Flexibility" is an excellent liver exercise. 

You will have noticed, perhaps, that the above ex- 
ercises are somewhat different from those usually 
designated as liver squeezers. Many teachers and 
many books of instruction give the same movements 
but with the body held tense during the exercise. 
For instance, No. 1 would be given thus — Stand, 
stretch arms firmly upward, inhale, bend forward and 
touch toes, upward stretch, touch toes, etc., and No. 
2 would be given, — Stand, arms stretching firmly out- 
ward, shoulders high, inhale and slowly twist first 
right, then left. 

I have a theory that the loose, relaxing method is 
far the best. The other is a needless waste of energy. 
We Americans live so fast, and waste so much strength 
in our daily work, that a system of exercise to be 
really valuable for adults should be planned to con- 
serve instead of waste vital force. And then, instead 
of having' certain exercises for breathing, some for 
the liver and some for relaxation, it seems wise, when- 
ever possible, to put them all in one general move- 
ment and thus save time and effort. It is difficult 
enough to get people to try them at all, and the fewer 
exercises prescribed, the easier the task will appear 
and the more courage they will have to make the at- 
tempt. The liver movements as given above crowd 



50 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the liver, and at the same time combine breathing and 
relaxation. 

The word flopping, used frequently in the directions 
for relaxing work, is not a dignified term, but I use 
it advisedly. For several years I tried to teach re- 
laxation without being satisfied with the results, then 
one day, while striving to get pupils to let go of the 
tension and relax, I happened to say flop and every 
person in the class flopped. Since that day, I have 
used it often, and always, with good results. 

Be sure to combine the deep breathing with the 
liver squeezers, for that puts fresh oxygen into the 
blood, and the bending, twisting movements crowd 
the liver thus squeezing the impure blood out and 
making room for the good blood to circulate. 

I once heard this process compared to the cleansing 
of a sponge, the cells of which had been clogged 
with dirt, and it was the most helpful illustration 
which ever came to me about the liver and its work. 
If you dip a dirty sponge in clean water, then squeeze 
it with the hand, you squeeze dirty water out, at the 
same time making room in the cells for fresh water 
to enter. Each time that you squeeze dirty water 
out, and dip the sponge in fresh water again, you aid 
in cleansing the cells and making it possible for clean, 
pure water to circulate. 

So with the liver, each time you take a deep breath 
of pure, fresh air you help to purify the blood, and 
with the bending, twisting movements you help 
crowd the bad blood from the liver, and leave room 
for the purified blood to enter. 




FIGURE V 



[51] 




FIGURE VI 



[52] 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 53 



THE SKIN AND ITS WORK 

CHAPTER VI. 

The importance of the work of the skin is often 
underestimated. Few people realize just how im- 
portant a part it plays in this elimination process. 
Many think that a warm bath once a week is sufficient, 
w r hile others are content with less than that in extreme 
cold weather. 

The skin has two important functions, that of cast- 
ing off poison and taking in oxygen. We breathe 
through the skin as well as through the lungs. There 
are millions of little sweat glands, twenty-five hundred 
to the square inch in some portions of the body 
which, many times a day, send their tiny tubes to the 
surface laden with poison. If the pores are open, this 
poison is thrown off and fresh oxygen is carried back 
to the blood, but if the pores are clogged by insuffi- 
cient bathing, this action cannot take place, thus 
poisoning and suffocating the system. This is one 
reason why frequent bathing is necessary. Then, the 
outer, horny layer of the skin is constantly dying and 
these dead scales must be removed by bathing and 
rubbing. 

Nearly all doctors and health culturists agree that 
a warm, cleansing bath at least twice or three times 
a week is essential for purposes of both health and 
cleanliness. These little tubes come to the surface 
with their poison many times a day, not just on Satur- 
day night. 



54 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

This does not necessarily mean getting in a tub of 
water each time, in fact for weak, nervous people this 
is hardly advisable, for many find frequent tub bath- 
ing rather weakening. For such people the warm tub 
bath once a week with a warm sponge bath on the 
other days is an ideal arrangement. If you can have 
access to the warm shower or spray bath let that 
take the place of the sponge bath for it is much more 
enjoyable and satisfactory. 

How to Bathe. 

Baths may be cold, tepid, warm or hot. To a cer- 
tain extent each individual must decide which bath 
is best adapted to himself, but there are a few general 
suggestions which it may be well to consider. 

The Cold Plunge Bath.— The cold plunge bath, 
jumping into a tub of cold water, is a severe shock 
to the nervous system, and a needless waste of vital 
force and it is a question whether any one profits by it 
in the long run. A strong, vigorous person may get 
a quick reaction and feel fine after the cold plunge, 
but each time he does it he robs his system of vitality 
and few people can afiford to waste strength in that 
manner. It is certain that delicate, nervous people 
should not use the cold plunge. 

The Cold Sponge Bath. — The cool or cold sponge 
bath is splendid for many people. This is not a 
cleansing process but it exhilarates the circulation, 
tones up the skin and serves to give it resistance 
power so that colds are more easily avoided. 

Many delicate people, people of nervous tempera- 
ment, however, are doing themselves an injury by the 






HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 55 

cold bath. Their vitality is already lowered, and the 
cold bath often uses more energy than they have to 
spare. Here is a pretty good test. If you can get 
out of bed in the morning, take a cold sponge bath 
followed by vigorous massage, v and get a prompt re- 
action, feel warm and glowing afterward, and there 
comes over you no feeling of chilliness or weariness 
several hours later, then the cold bath is for you. 
But if this "all gone" tired feeling comes each day 
about noon or a little later, try omitting the cold 
sponge for a week or ten days and note whether the 
tired feeling still appears. If it does not, then it is an 
indication that the cold bath was using up more vital- 
ity than you could conveniently spare, and it had bet- 
ter be omitted permanently. 

The Cold Air Bath. — If the cold water bath does 
not agree with you, try the air bath. I mean by that, 
letting the air come in direct contact with the entire 
surface of the body from ten to twenty minutes daily. 

For nervous people and people of lowered vitality 
I know of no better tonic. Of course, if the weather is 
cold, great precaution must be taken against allow- 
ing the body to become chilled. Keep the blood cir- 
culating by deep breathing, vigorous massage, by 
slapping the skin or by free exercise ; and never allow 
yourself to chill. It is best to begin this practice in 
warm weather and then gradually accustom yourself 
to the cool air as the cold weather comes on. In 
winter, take the air bath in a partially heated room 
but see that the air is not stale. 

Many a person with a nervous break down has 
found that the sun and air baths have worked wonders 
toward bringing about a recovery. The fresh air in 



56 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

contact with the skin helps it to discharge poison, and 
take in oxygen ; the exercise and massage increases 
the circulation ; the deep breathing helps the lungs 
to throw off more poison, and carries more oxygen 
into the blood; and the general result is, that tired, 
sluggish feelings are banished, and fresh, invigorating 
ones appear in their place. This is a wonderful help 
toward hardening the person against colds as well as 
a tonic for the nervous system. 

The Warm Bath. — The warm or tepid soap scrub 
followed by the cold sponge or shower is the ideal 
bath. The cleansing bath must be warm because the 
secretions sent out by the skin are oily in substance 
and it requires warm water and soap to dissolve them 
and properly cleanse the skin. The warm bath should 
be followed by rinsing with cold water for two rea- 
sons, first, and most important, the warm water ex- 
pands the pores and if they are left in this condition 
the first cold draft which strikes the body is apt to 
cause a chill and a cold may result. The cold water 
will close the pores, leaving them in normal condition 
and also start the blood to circulating. The second 
reason for the cold sponge or shower is that after the 
bath, the body is covered with a coating of soap 
and this should be thoroughly rinsed off, for if left 
to dry, it will clog the pores. 

If dashing cold water over the body causes a ner- 
vous shock try applying it with the hands. Fill the 
hands with water and apply it to the skin ; go over 
the body quickly and then follow that by a vigorous 
massage. This seems to cause less of a shock than 
the other methods and will accomplish the same re- 
sults. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 57 

The Hot Bath. — The hot or sweat bath is excellent 
for the treatment of disease ; for breaking up a cold 
or helping to free the body from poison, but it is very 
debilitating. It is another extreme measure which 
uses up vitality and it is a question whether it is 
wise to use it as a regular bath. Certainly it should 
not be taken oftener than once a week and most 
authorities agree that the warm water answers every 
purpose as a cleansing process and should be used in 
place of hot water except when a sweat is needed 
for the elimination of waste. 

The Use of a Flesh Brush. — For bathing it is a 
good plan to use a brush with fairly stiff bristles, 
for the bristles get into the pores and help to dislodge 
the waste. A soft camels hair brush should be used 
on the face, but a stiff brush is more satisfactory for 
the rest of the body. 

Do Not Remain Long in the Water. — It is a mistake 
to remain in the water too long at a time, because it 
wastes vitality. For the tub bath, from three to ten 
minutes is long enough, the length of time being de- 
termined somewhat by the strength of the person. 
Many people, at summer resorts, injure themselves by 
going into the water too often and remaining too long 
at a time. From twenty to thirty minutes I should say 
is long enough and I am convinced that a shorter time 
would be better in many cases, especially if the water 
is cold. 

Massage. — Massage is an important part of the bath, 
in cold weather the skin should be rubbed until it is 
warm and glowing, but in hot weather if you want 
a cool, refreshing feeling after the bath, dry the skin 



58 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

carefully but do not massage vigorously for that ex- 
hilarates the circulation and increases the sensations 
of heat. 

There are many appliances on the market for pur- 
poses of massage, and many of them are very good, 
but the ordinary Turkish towel is less expensive and 
just as satisfactory as most of them. Many people 
prefer a glove made of Turkish toweling to a regular 
towel because it is so much handier to use, but v any- 
thing which leaves the skin red and tingling answers 
the purpose. 

When to Bathe. 

Baths may be taken any time that suits the con- 
venience of the person concerned, except within a half 
hour before and two hours after eating a meal. Vital 
functions should not interfere with each other. After 
eating, the blood is needed around the digestive organs 
to help manufacture digestive juices and aid in the 
process of digestion, and a bath taken at that time 
draws the blood to the surface of the body and there- 
fore hinders nature's work. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 59 



THE BOWELS 

Constipation 

CHAPTER VII. 

Constipation is the foundation of many ills, "the 
mother of disease." It is simply the failure of the 
bowels to cast out of the body the waste that has been 
left in the large intestine after the nutritious part of 
the food has been assimilated. 

An old Scotch physician once said, "We ha' only 
twa' things to keep in meend, and they'll serve us for 
here and herea'ter, one is au' ways to hae the fear o'the 
Laird before our e'es, that'll do for herea'ter, and 
th' t'other is to keep our boo'els au' ways open, and 
that'll do for here." 

Another authority says "In the race of life a man 
with educated bow r els will eclipse the man with an 
educated brain — but why not have both?" 

The bowels play a most important part in this 
eliminating process, and when they fail to discharge 
their share of the bodily waste, the system is soon 
filled with poison, the person feels dull and sluggish, 
and if the constipated condition continues, every vital 
function is affected. When a physician is summoned, 
regardless of the nature of the illness, the first ques- 
tion usually asked is, "How have the bowels been act- 
ing," and the same answer is usually received, "They 
have not been acting at all." 



60 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Causes of Constipation. 

Neglect to Attend to the Bowels Regularly. — Con- 
stipation is frequently caused by failure on our part 
to work with Nature and give attention to her call. 
When the intestines are ready to throw off their load 
of waste, a nervous message is sent from the nerve 
center of the abdomen (often termed the abdominal 
brain), up to the brain announcing the fact. The 
message, if not heeded at first, is usually repeated 
several times, but if no response is received, the nerves 
finally cease in their efforts and the bowels do not act. 
Then the process of absorption begins, and the 
glands, according to their function, begin to absorb 
the liquid contents of the intestines, and this poison 
is finally taken up by the blood and carried in its 
course around the body. 

A regular time each day, preferably in the morning, 
should be chosen in which to attend to this part of the 
bodily mechanism, and one should be persistent in 
his efforts until a regular habit is established. 

Children have a right to know and should be 
taught the importance of a daily evacuation of the 
bowels, for carelessness in childhood often results in 
chronic constipation in later life. 

Lack of Fluid in the System. — Many cases of con- 
stipation are caused by water starvation. As has been 
stated elsewhere, at least eight glasses of water are 
required daily, in order to keep the system in good 
condition. This should be taken in the morning, 
about a half hour before breakfast, between meals and 
just before retiring at night. The less taken with the 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 61 

meals the better. Ice water, however, should be 
shunned, or if used at all. should be sipped very 
slowly. Dr. Wiley, the pure food advocate says, 
"Pouring ice water into the stomach where the natural 
temperature is about blood heat, is a severe shock to 
the stomach, the pores are immediately closed and it 
takes a long time for the body to throw off the con- 
gestion. Summer drinks should not be below 60 de- 
grees, Fahrenheit: ice drinks are twice that cold." 

Overeating. — An excessive amount of food over- 
taxes the organs of digestion and elimination and the 
bowels usually are called upon to attend to more 
than their share of the work. Heavy, stimulating 
foods overtax the bowels. A simple, nutritious diet 
always promotes health. 

Improper Clothing. — Corsets and tight skirt bands 
interfere with the action of the intestines. Pressure 
on the transverse colon often partially closes this tube 
making it difficult for the contents to pass. In case 
of tight lacing, the tube is some times entirely closed 
so that no passage can take place until the garment 
is removed. This same pressure often retards the 
circulation making it impossible for good blood to 
reach the abdominal muscles. They, therefore, be- 
come weak and flabby and unable to force the con- 
tents of the colon forward with enough force and 
rapidity to prevent stagnation and keep the passage 
clean. 

Weakened Nerves. — In case of lowered vitality, the 
nerves, because of impure blood or poor circulation or 
both, become so weakened that thev fail to carrv the 



62 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



messages sent from the nerve center of the abdomen 
to the brain, and peristaltic action, that wormlike 
movement of the intestines, becomes slow and weak 
and the result is constipation. The remedy for this 
condition is to build up the system, purify the blood 
and equalize the circulation, so that these nerves will 
be nourished and stimulated. 

A few exercises will be given at the end of the 
chapter that are especially adapted to relieve this ner- 
vous debility. 

Treatment for Constipation. 

Diet. — There are certain foods which are said to be 
constipating and should be avoided by those having 
trouble of this nature. No ironclad rules can be laid 
down in regard to diet, each individual must study his 
own case and use his good judgment in making a de- 
cision, but a list of foods generally considered to be 
constipating may help some one in making a choice. 



Constipating Foods. 



Pickles 




Cornstarch 


Spices 




Boiled Milk 


Cheese 




Excessive Use of Meat 


Tea 




Soups 


Coffee 




Gruels 


Fine White 


Flour 


Liquid Diet 


Rice 







A liquid diet is bad for the bowels because there 
must be some solid foods, some bulk in order to aid 
peristaltic action. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 
Foods Said To Aid the Bowels. 



(53 



Brown Bread 


Greens 


Whole Wheat Bread 


Parsnips 


Soft Boiled Eggs 


Carrots 


Butter 


Raw Cabbage 


Cream 


Melons 


Nuts (especially pecans 


Prunes 


and Brazil nuts) 


Plums 


Olive Oil 


Rhubarb 


Ripe olives 


Dates 


Berries 


Figs 


Fresh vegetables 


Apples 


Lettuce 


Raisins 


Onions 


Oranges 


Asparagus 


Grapefruit 



Water Drinking. — One physician says, "Water is 
the only justifiable cathartic." In the treatment of 
constipation, when trying to avoid the use of drugs, 
try taking a teaspoon of table salt in a glass of water 
a short time before breakfast. For most people this 
acts very quickly and causes a free movement of the 
bowels. This cannot be recommended as a regular 
practice, however, for large quantities of salt are apt 
to overtax the kidneys, but for a short time, while 
trying to establish a regular habit, or used occasional- 
ly, it is far safer than many cathartics which are in 
general use. 

Keep the Liver and Skin Active. — If the liver and 
the skin are doing their work well, the bowels are not 
apt to be overworked, but defective secretion of the 
bile by the liver, or a clogged inactive skin, affects 
the bowels directly, making them care for more than 
their share of the bodily waste. 



64 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

The Internal Bath. — The value of the internal bath 
can scarcely be overestimated, especially for people 
troubled with constipation. However, I believe every 
person, whether conscious of constipation or not, 
would be benefited by the occasional use of the internal 
bath, for a daily movement of the bowels does not 
necessarily indicate that the person is free from con- 
stipation. Dr. Forest in his book, "The New Method" 
says, "Constipation means a loaded colon; now, if from 
one end of this organ a small portion is discharged 
daily, the colon still remains full by addition at the 
other end, and thus constipation is present and con- 
tinuous, even if there be a daily discharge." With the 
internal bath, the colon is flushed and the poisonous 
contents removed. This is decidedly beneficial, and in 
addition to this, the injection of hot water, by coming 
in contact with the nerves of the liver, stomach and 
kidneys, greatly stimulate their action, giving them 
health and vigor. 

Of course it is not wise to become dependent on 
the injection any more than it is to depend on a 
cathartic for a daily movement of the bowels, but if 
one must resort to either, surely a cleansing with pure 
water is far more justifiable than the use of strong 
drugs. However, attention to diet, water drinking, 
exercise and massage, with an occasional high enema 
will usually give relief to the most stubborn cases. 

There are several methods used in this kind of 
treatment, but probably the best thing on the market 
is the J. B. L. Cascade, invented and sold by Dr. 
Charles A. Tyrrell, 134 West 65th St., New York 
City. This is superior to the fountain syringe in many 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 65 

respects. There is a large rubber bag upon which 
the person sits and the weight of the body forces the 
water upward into the colon. In this way the water is 
carried farther up than with the other methods and 
the treatment is more thorough, and it is much easier 
and more convenient to use than the fountain syringe. 
With the Cascade, are sent two books on health sub- 
jects and full directions as to its use. 

If the Cascade is not available, the method next to 
be recommended is Doctor Wright's Colon Syringe. 
This has a long, flexible, rubber tube, the entire length 
of which is inserted in the colon. This carries the 
water much further than the ordinary syringe. Full 
directions as to its use can be obtained from Dr. For- 
ests' book, "The Xew Method," published by the 
Health Culture Company, Passaic, Xew Jersey. The 
flexible, rubber tube can be obtained from your drug- 
gist, however, and used on any fountain syringe. The 
best results from the enema usually come from the 
use of light soap suds made of ivory or castile soap, 
and water as warm as can be born comfortably by 
the hands. When the water is turned on, aid the 
flow by gently rubbing the abdomen upward along the 
course of the colon from left to right. Use as much 
water as you can stand, then turn it off and wait a few 
minutes, and often, after a short interval, more can be 
taken. Retain the water as long as possible, then, 
when you begin to expel it, gently knead the abdo- 
men, this time rubbing from right to left. 

The hot water is rather debilitating and if used fre- 
quently it should be followed by an injection of cool 
water after the colon has been properly emptied. The 



66 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

cool water tones up the mucous membrane, equalizes 
the circulation, does away with the weakening effect, 
and helps to bring about a normal action of the in- 
testines the following day. 

Massage. — Kneading the bowels and a thorough 
massage along the course of the colon is a wonderful 
help in cases of constipation. Lie flat on the back, 
bend the knees and draw the feet up toward the hips. 
This relaxes the muscles of the abdomen so that the 
massage is more effective. Now, take the tips of the 
fingers and begin at the lower, right side of the abdo- 
men and follow the course of the colon with a vigor- 
ous, rotary motion. First, follow the ascending colon 
upward on the right side, then go over the transverse 
colon which passes across the abdomen just below the 
waist line, then on down over the descending colon 
on the left side. Do this several times, then knead 
the entire abdomen thoroughly, using either the finger 
tips or the knuckles. Do this a few minutes at night 
after retiring* and again in the morning and you will 
find it a wonderful help in bringing about a regular 
movement of the bowels. 

A Justifiable Cathartic. — Here is a recipe for a laxa- 
tive which many have found to be very satisfactory. 
It is a nutritious food giving desired results, and none 
of the injurious effects which come from the use of 
many laxatives. 

One fourth pound each of prunes, dates, figs and 
raisins, mixed with one half ounce of senna leaves. 
Wash the fruit, remove the pits from the prunes and 
dates and run all the fruit through a meat grinder, add 
the senna leaves and put it all through the grinder a 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 67 

second time. This grinds the senna leaves and mixes 
it thoroughly with the fruit. About a teaspoonful 
taken at night before retiring is the usual dose. If this 
isn't sufficient increase it until you find the proper 
amount. This mixture moulded into a cake, cut in 
cubes and rolled in powdered sugar will keep in- 
definitely and is very pleasant to take. 

EXERCISES FOR CONSTIPATION. 

For Debilitated Nerves. — 1. Stand with feet wide apart, 
place hands on the back of a chair, rise to tiptoes, stretch- 
ing the entire body firmly upward, then bend knees and 
come down to a squat position, again rise to tiptoes stretch- 
ing firmly upward, and come back to original position. Re- 
peat several times. 

2. Stand, feet together, and about a foot and a half from 
the wall, place the palms of the hands flat against the wall 
about the height of the chest, then, keeping the feet flat on 
the floor, bend forward and touch the chest against the wall. 
There should be a firm stretch of the abdominal muscles but 
no strain. If standing a foot and a half from the wall causes 
a strain, move a little nearer. Be sure to keep the heels flat 
on the floor, for if the heels come up, this allows the knees 
to bend and all pull on the abdominal muscles is taken away 
and the object of the exercise is lost. 

3. Sit on a low chair or stool with the feet wide apart. 
Clasp the hands firmly on the top of the head, then, holding 
the position on the chair, inhale and twist toward the right 
as far as possible without a strain, then twist toward the 
left. Repeat several times. Figure XII. 

For the Stagnated Condition of the Intestines. — 4. Sit on a 

low stool, bend forward and touch the right hand to the 
floor on the right diagonal side as far out as you can reach, 
come up to erect position, then bend forward and touch the 
left hand to the left side, coming back to erect position. 
Alternate this movement from twenty to thirty times. 

5. Sit on a low stool, clasp hands below the right knee and 
draw it forcibly up against the chest, then clasp hands below 
left knee and draw the left knee against the chest. Alternate 



68 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the movement from twenty to thirty times and do it rather 
rapidly. 

6. Same as No. 5 lying- flat upon the back. 

7. Lying flat on the floor, raise the feet up over the body 
and touch toes to the floor just above the head, then bring 
them back to original position, taking care not to let the feet 
come down with a jolt, for this jars the pelvic organs and 
is a shock to the nervous system. 

Electricity. — If after trying the above suggestions 
you are a victim of constipation, invest in an electric 
vibrator and use that twice a day over the region of 
the liver and intestines. This acts directly on the 
circulation, causing a freer flow of blood to the mus- 
cles, soothes the nerves and stimulates the organs to 
better work. 







FIGURE VII 



[69] 




FIGURE VIII 



[70] 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 71 



THE KIDNEYS 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Causes of Kidney Disorder. 

Wrong Habits of Diet. — Too much food, however 
excellent the quality, the excessive use of meats or 
other proteins, the free use of highly seasoned foods 
of any kind, especially salt and spices all have a tend- 
ency to overtax the kidneys. 

Mineral Waters and Alcoholic Beverages. — Mineral 
water, alcoholic beverages, and drugs with a large 
percentage of alcohol affect the kidneys directly. For 
this reason, people addicted to the patent medicine 
habit are often victims of kidney trouble. If drugs 
are needed, it is far wiser to let a reliable physician 
prescribe for you, rather than to do any experimenting 
yourself. 

Failure of the Other Eliminating Organs. — If there 
is a surplus of poison in the system the kidneys are 
certain to be overworked. This is especially true in 
regard to failure on the part of the skin. If the skin 
shirks, its work falls at once upon the kidneys. These 
two organs together are supposed to cast off about 
five pints of poison daily. Under normal conditions 
the skin will care for about three pints, leaving the 
remaining two pints for the kidneys. The skin in 
warm weather is far more active than in cold weather, 
due partly to free perspiration and partly to the stimu- 
lus which comes to it from free contact with the air, 



72 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

In cold weather the skin, smothered by heavy clothing, 
and without free perspiration, will generally, unless 
the person is a frequent bather, cast off about a pint 
or a pint and a half of poison, leaving three and a half 
or four pints for the kidneys to manage. 

Lack of Fluid in the System. — The habit of drinking 
plenty of pure water has been frequently emphasized 
as an important factor in the promotion of health, but 
no organ in the body is so directly benefited by it as 
the kidneys. Plenty of fluid in the system helps to 
flush the kidneys and carry off the poison, thus aiding 
them, greatly, in their work. 

How We May Aid the Kidneys. 

There are three simple things which can be done 
to help keep the kidneys in good working order. 

1. Use good judgment in the selection of food. 

2. Keep the skin active by frequent bathing. 

3. Flush the system by drinking at least two quarts of 
water daily. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 73 



NERVOUSNESS 
CHAPTER IX. 

Nervousness or Americanitis is wide spread among 
our people today. Very few are exempt from the 
malady in one form or another, and many accept it as 
a matter of fact, not taking it very seriously in its 
early stages. We frequently hear them say, "Oh, I'm 
all right, just a little nervous and run down, that's 
all," and blindly they rush ahead until a nervous col- 
lapse overtakes them, then they suddenly discover 
that they have wandered far from the road to health, 
so far that months and often years are required for the 
backward journey. 

When this bodily machine gets out of repair Nature 
always sends out her danger signals as a warning, 
and if people could and wt)uld but recognize and heed 
the signals they would truly find that "A stitch in 
time saves nine." The trouble is, many people do not 
know the signals, while others recognize them but are 
too busy to take heed. 

If the minor symptoms' of nervousness were attended 
to, it is safe to say that the more serious forms would 
never appear. 

Symptoms of Nervousness. 

Below are mentioned a few symptoms, which are 
seldom given much attention, but which are serious 
enough to sap w the vitality and lead steadily onward to 
more serious forms. 



74 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Muscular Rigidity. — We mean by muscular rigidity, 
tense, hard muscles of the face, neck, arms, legs and 
back. This condition is frequently found among chil- 
dren. Go into our primary grades and examine the 
pupils, and many times you will discover drawn, set, 
worried expressions, twitching muscles of the eyes or 
face, tense, hard arm muscles and finger nails short 
from frequent biting. These are danger signals in- 
dicating that the nervous system is not properly nour- 
ished and the child needs attention and possibly the 
services of a physician. 

More often this condition occurs among adults, 
however. In examining classes of women for work 
in Physical Education it is a rare and happy occasion 
to find, now and then, one who has kept her muscles 
flexible and who knows how to relax. 

This is one reason why we plead for a simple sys- 
tem of daily exercise. No matter how much you get 
in your regular tasks, it is exercise under tension, and 
proper exercise should be done without tension. If 
you are not getting freedom of motion in some sport 
such as tennis, golf, or skating, substitute a few loose 
bending, twisting, stretching movements and you will 
be surprised to find how the muscular system will 
respond and loosen up. 

Restlessness. — Do you ever find yourself tapping 
your feet against the floor, wrapping one leg around 
the other or one foot around the leg of a 
chair, drumming with the fingers, toying with 
your watch chain, fairly twisting into a knot, 
rocking vigorously backward and forward in a rock- 
ing chair, or doing a thousand other foolish and 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 75 

unnecessary things of that kind? If you do, you are 
using up vital force, needlessly, foolishly, wasting 
energy that might be used for something worth while. 

The only thing to do in such a case is to take your- 
self in hand and break the habit; put your mind on 
top and get your muscular system under control. No 
one can help you but yourself, and if you have much 
will power you won't need any help. 

Irritability. — Are you or the children in your home 
easily "rubbed the wrong way"? Does some little 
thing annoy and irritate you and cause you to say or 
do something rash, something for which you are 
heartily ashamed in your saner moments? These 
things usually indicate a poisoned or insufficiently 
nourished nervous system and can be classed among 
the danger signals. 

Insomnia. — Do you go to bed night after night and 
toss and turn in a restless manner for hours before 
sleep comes? Or do you drop off asleep and then 
awaken at two or three o'clock and stay awake until 
daybreak? There are other causes for insomnia, but 
frequently poison circulating in the blood causes an 
irritation of the nerves and sleeplessness is a result. 

Then might be mentioned loss of memory or lack 
of mental concentration, signals pointing to an im- 
poverished nervous system, and serious enough to 
demand careful attention. Should all these signs be 
passed by unheeded, your progress is apt to be 
blocked by nervous prostration or St. Vitas Dance. 
Then busy though you are, important as you are in 
the world's work, everything has to be suspended for 



76 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the time being and with a physician as your guide, 
slowly you must begin retracing your steps, some- 
times fairly crawling back along the winding road 
toward the welcome signal "Health." How much 
better for all concerned had you been able to keep on 
the straight and narrow path, with no need for a back- 
ward journey. 

What Nervousness Means. 

If you can understand just what this nervous con- 
dition means in the workings of this bodily machine, 
you will have taken a long step toward knowing how 
to deal with it. 

Bodily strength comes from three main sources, 
through the food you eat, the water you drink and the 
air you breathe. Daily you are manufacturing energy, 
and daily you are spending energy, spending it in 
work, recreation, thought, wrong mental states, such 
as worry, fear, remorse, etc., and often in the foolish 
ways indicated among the symptoms of nervousness 
at the beginning of the chapter. Now if you can plan 
your life so as to spend no more energy daily than 
your system can supply, all is apt to go fairly well, 
but you are soon in a sorry plight when you find it 
necessary to spend more than you have on hand. 
Overtaxed strength is likely to lead to nervous bank- 
ruptcy, just as an overdrawn bank account will lead 
to financial bankruptcy. 

How much better if you could learn to manufac- 
ture more strength each day than is actually needed, 
and thus have a little stored up energy or reserve 
force on which to draw in an extremity. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 77 

Causes for Nervousness. 

Impure Blood. — The nerves are dependent on the 
blood for nourishment and if the blood is deficient in 
life giving elements and full of poison, the nervous 
system must necessarily suffer. 

Lowered Vitality. — Below are mentioned several 
things which lower the vitality and bring about a 
nervous condition. 

Overeating. — When we eat more food than the sys- 
tem demands or can make use of, it means, first, that 
the digestive organs are overworked trying to take 
care of it, next, it means a surplus of waste and the 
eliminating organs have to come to the rescue and deal 
with that, and often all these overworked organs to- 
gether are not equal to the task and there is an ac- 
cumulation of poison which has to be taken up by 
the blood. The outcome of the whole process is a 
poisoned, overtaxed system and lowered vitality. 

Overwork. — When you are worn out physically, if 
you can possibly stop and take a short nap or even 
relax for a while it will be time well spent, for fatigue 
is a danger signal sent out by Nature as a warning 
that your vitality is exhausted for the present and you 
need rest. 

I wish that every one could be brought to recognize 
the importance of reserving some time during the day, 
at least thirty or forty minutes, for complete relaxa- 
tion, relaxation of both mind and body. A nap is 
fine, but you do not necessarily have to lose con- 
sciousness in order to rest. Go into a well ventilated 
room, throw yourself down flat, a perfect dead weight 



78 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

on the bed, shut out your thoughts, breathe deeply 
and lazily and rest. Drop asleep if you can. 

Strong, vigorous people often call this laziness and 
scoff at the suggestion, but never mind, only give it 
a trial and I am sure you will find that it will add 
years to your life and efficiency to your service. Many 
a nervous break down can be thus avoided. 

Lack of Exercise. — The proper kind of exercise is 
free exercise without tention, "exercise which gives 
the greatest income of force with the least expendi- 
ture of energy." A certain amount of this freedom of 
motion is necessary in order to aid the organs in their 
work and keep up the circulation. 

When housekeepers are invited to join a class in 
Physical Education or adopt a system of exercise in 
their homes, the answer is usually the same, "I do my 
own work, my washing, sweeping, etc. I get all the 
physical culture I need." 

That exercise is good as far as it goes, but there are 
muscles never reached which are growing weaker and 
weaker from non-use, and all of the exercise is done 
under tention. Proper exercise should leave one rested 
and refreshed, exercise from house work usually 
comes far short of meeting that test. For this same 
reason, apparatus and music have an important place 
in gymnasium work. Every muscle could be reached 
without the use of apparatus and the desired results 
accomplished if the work could be made attractive and 
the attention of the pupils held. 

Plain muscular movements day after day without 
any musical accompaniment soon become monotonous 
and burdensome, but place a number of pupils on the 
floor at once, have a capable musician at the piano, put 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 79 

Indian clubs in their hands and start them on some 
rhythmic drill and watch the result. Soon their inter- 
est is aroused, a sparkle comes into the eyes, and a 
flush to the cheeks ; it ceases to be work and becomes 
play. 

Worry — Worry is mentioned last and in the form of 
a climax, for it is, without doubt, the most common 
cause of lowered vitality. Worry is one of the most 
dangerous foes that crosses our pathway and one of 
the most difficult to resist. "Worry is lack of faith." 
Our Heavenly Father never asks us to perform any 
task beyond our strength or ability. If duty points 
to some certain work we may rest assured that there 
will be sufficient strength furnished for its perform- 
ance. If we could just bring ourselves to believe this, 
and trust in a power far greater than ours instead of 
attempting so much in our own strength, I am con- 
vinced that worry might be forever banished from our 
lives. 

Treatment for Nervousness. 
Purify the Blood. 

1. Deep Breathing. — If you are not a good breather, culti- 
vate the habit, for the lungs have much to do with throwing 
off poison and furnishing the blood with oxygen. 

2. Correct Your Habits of Diet. — If your system is poisoned 
by wrong diet, look into the matter and correct your mis- 
takes. The suggestions in the chapter, "Wrong Habits In 
Regard to Food" may be helpful. 

3. Free Exercise. — Practice the simple, light, free bending, 
twisting and stretching exercises suggested in the chapter 
on "The Liver." 

Learn to Relax Tension — While waiting for a late 
train, do you sit on the edge of the chair, tap your 
foot excitedly against the floor, and with every mus- 
cle tense, wonder what you can ever, ever do to pass 



80 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the time? Or do you pace the floor with your eyes on 
the clock and your mind in a turmoil? This will not 
hurry the tardy train, and it will exhaust your energy 
needlessly. Serenity of mind is a wonderful help at 
such a time. Try to relax your body and occupy your 
mind with something interesting, a good story, a bit 
of fancy work, or better still, the people about you. 
Human nature is a fascinating study and there is no 
better place to find the various types than at a railway 
station. , , : | 

Learn to Relax When you Sew. — When sewing, 
many tense the muscles of the back, neck and shoulders 
as well as those of the hands and arms. When the back 
begins to ache, raise the shoulders, stretching every 
muscle above the waist line, then let them drop re- 
laxed. Do this frequently and it will help to keep 
the muscles from becoming tense. Have fresh air in 
the room and sit erect so that the lungs are not 
cramped. If the work must be pinned to the knee, 
use a foot stool, thus raising the knee instead of droop- 
ing the chest. Sewing under the most favorable con- 
ditions is hard, nervous work and a few little precau- 
tions will often relieve the strain considerably. 

Running the sewing machine is considered by many 
women to be injurious, but often the harm comes from 
the use of the wrong muscles. If you sit on the edge 
of the chair a short distance from the machine and 
work the pedal, you will find that the pull comes on 
the muscles of the back and abdomen. These muscles 
are not designed for that kind of work and naturally 
rebel. Try pulling your chair up as close to the ma- 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 81 

chine as possible, leaving room for the knee motion 
then sit well back upon the chair, and I think you will 
notice that the work of pedaling the machine is put 
upon the calves of the legs where it belongs. 

Learn to relax while listening to a lecture, a con- 
cert or a sermon — Often we rind ourselves exhausted 
at the end of an entertainment because we have sat 
with tense muscles during the performance. By using 
a little mental effort the muscular system can easily 
be gotten under control and made to relax. 

Learn to Save Energy in Little Ways. — I wish more 
housekeepers could be induced to have a high stool 
near the kitchen cabinet and sit down while preparing 
vegetables, while ironing and even w r hile wiping dishes. 
Now, I know what you are saying mentally, if not 
audibly. It is something like this, "Why, if my neigh- 
bors came in and found me sitting down ironing, they 
would call me lazy." Never mind what they say. It 
isn't laziness, it is good common sense, a great sav- 
ing of energy and many a worn out, nervous woman 
would find that she had less backache, fewer aching 
feet, and a much better disposition if she would try 
the experiment. 

If women could learn to "use their heads and save 
their feet," housework would be far less of a burden. 
If you will watch women work about the house and 
especially in the kitchen, you will find that the major- 
ity take a hundred steps where a dozen would suffice. 
For instance, many women wipe a few dishes, cross 
the room, place them in the cupboard, walk back to 
the cabinet, wipe a few more, make another trip, when 
they could just as well sit on their stool, wipe every 






82 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



dish in the pan, place them all on a tray and make 
one trip to the cupboard do for the whole lot. 

Many women, because of lack of thought, climb 
up and down stairs a dozen times or more, when with 
a little careful planning a few trips would attend' to 
every errand. These are little things, but a little 
strength saved here and there in the course of the day, 
may mean considerable stored up energy at the end of 
the week, and when you have learned to conserve 
energy instead of wasting it, you will have taken one 
important step toward warding off nervousness. 

Learn to Relax in Bed. — Many people sleep in a 
cramped position with muscles tense, and waken 
weary in the morning because they have been ex- 
hausting instead of gaining vital force during the 
night. 

Exercises for Relaxation. 

1. Relax the head by rolling it around in a rotary motion 
with the muscles of the neck free from tension. When per- 
fectly relaxed, the chin should touch the chest as the head 
comes forward, the right ear touch the right shoulder as 
the head rolls around toward the right, and the head touch 
the back as it moves backward. It often requires long and 
faithful practice before the muscles loosen up and allow the 
head to rotate freely. 

2. Shake the hands until all stiffness leaves the fingers 
and they feel as if they were about to fly off. (It sometimes 
helps to imagine that there are drops of water on the ringers 
which you are striving to sh^ke off.) 

3. Go from the hand relaxation to the wrists, flopping the 
hands up and down until all tension is gone from the wrists. 

4. Combine elbow relaxation with the hands and wrists, 
flopping the elbows in a lifeless fashion. 

5. Combine Numbers Two, Three and Four with springing 
up and down on tiptoes, working for looseness in the muscles 
of the feet, ankles, and the calves of the legs. 






HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 83 

6. Add the knee relaxation to Number Five, giving away 
at the knees with each light spring. 

7. Next, add the hip motion to Number Six, turning the 
body loosely from right to left. The movement of the hips 
in this exercise is something similar to the shrugging of the 
shoulders, except that the motion is from right to left instead 
of up and down. 

8. Then still continuing the above movements loosen up 
the back muscles and pick the feet up in a running motion, 
but do not advance, simply run lightly in place. Just let 
go of every muscle, allowing them to be loose and free. 
If you will give up to these directions you will be executing 
a cakewalk before you are aware of it. When using these 
relaxing exercises in the school room, have them done to 
light, airy music if possible, for it makes the work more 
attractive and assists wonderfully in letting go of the mus- 
cular tension. It is really surprising to note how quickly 
a person learns to relax with this method, and how refreshed 
and rested one is after a few moments of practice. Then 
when you have learned to relax, add to that, stretching and 
yawning. Never suppress a yawn unless you are in polite 
society where it would be improper to y\t\d to the impulse, 
for that is Nature's method of resting tired muscles. 



84 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



HOW TO REST. 

By Walter S. Whitacre. 

When you're as tired as you can be, 

Almost too tired to think or see, 

Lie flat on your back and breathe. 

Or when your mind is so perplexed, 

That all your faculties are vexed, 

Lie flat on your back and breathe. 

Breathe way down deep and way out wide, 

From top to bottom, side to side. 

Not once or twice, not even thrice, 

A dozen times may not suffice 

To make the tensioned nerves let go, 

So that the blood may freely flow — 

Just lie on your back and breathe. 

When you are thoroughly relaxed, 
And not a nerve is overtaxed, 
Stand up on your feet and stretch. 
When by your feeling you have learned 
That equilibrium has returned, 
Stand up on your feet and stretch. 
Stretch just as far as you can reach, 
First up, then out, then down, till each 
And every muscle, nerve and bone 
Has been restored to normal tone; 
Stretch just as far as ever you can, 
There's nothing better for you than 
To stand on your feet and stretch. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER S1GXALS 



A FEW SUGGESTIONS ABOUT SLEEP 
CHAPTER X. 

How to Prepare for Sleep — Do not undress rapidly 
and jump immediately into bed with the mind alert 
and active, and the nervous system keyed up at the 
end of a strenuous day and expect restful sleep to 
come at once. There are a few people fortunate 
enough to do this but the majority either drop off into 
a troubled, restless sleep with nerves and muscles 
tense,, only to awaken dull and tired in the morning. 
or they toss nervously about for an hour or two be- 
fore they drop off into an unconscious state. 

If you are not a good sleeper, do not hurry to bed, 
take a few moments in which to prepare for a night 
of rest. Brush your hair, clean your teeth, if possible, 
take a warm or tepid bath, but if that isn't practical 
bathe the hands and face at least. Then take a few 
loose, relaxing exercises combined with deep breath- 
ing. A few moments later to bed followed by restful 
sleep will mean more to you than retiring at an earlier 
hour and then having to impatiently wait for sleep to 
come. 

Xever sleep in any article of clothing which you 
have worn next to the body during the day, for these 
garments are saturated with poison which the skin has 
thrown off, and they should be hung so that the fresh 
air can circulate freely about them all night, in order 
to have them sweet and fresh for morning wear. 



$6 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Heavy Bedding — If possible have your bed cover- 
ings light in weight. The main object of covering 
is to preserve the heat which naturally radiates from 
the body, and to keep the outside cold air from strik- 
ing it. Light bedding will do this as well as heavy 
if it is properly tucked in around the sides of the bed, 
and you will be spared the burden of supporting a 
heavy weight during the night. Many people sleep 
under heavy woolen comforters and awaken weary in 
the morning without realizing the cause. Substi- 
tute blankets or light fluffy comforters and note the 
difference. 

Proper Ventilation — Sleep out of doors as much as 
you can on the sleeping porch or in a tent, but if you 
must sleep in the house see to it that your windows 
are open and your room well ventilated in winter as 
well as in summer. Many people fear that they may 
catch cold from breathing cold night air, but fresh pure 
air from outside is not half as likely to harm you as the 
stale, impure air in your sleeping room. We breathe 
in and out about twenty times a minute, this means 
about nine thousand, six hundred breaths in eight 
hours, the usual time given to sleep. Now we are told 
that each out going breath poisons about half a barrel 
of air in the room, so you can easily imagine the con- 
dition of the air you are compelled to breathe if you 
are sleeping in the winter with your windows closed 
or open but an inch or two. 

If you have but one window, raise it from the bot- 
tom and lower it from the top. This establishes a cur- 
rent of air, the fresh air comes in from below driving 
the bad air up and out, thus keeping up a circulation. 




FIGURE IX 



[87] 




FIGURE X 



[88] 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 89 

Proper Position During Sleep — The most healthful 
position is lying on the front of the body with the head 
turned toward the left and without a pillow or if one 
be used it should be a very small one. It is usually 
more comfortable to flex the left knee and draw it up 
toward the chest, and this improves the position be- 
cause it frees the left side, thus giving the heart more 
room for action. It is necessary to lie flat on either 
the back or on the front of the body in order to be 
perfectly relaxed and be a dead weight on the bed, 
and there are many reasons why it is not healthful to 
sleep lying on the back. 

Physiologists tell us that the ligaments which hold 
the organs in place are so arranged as to keep them 
from falling out of place forward instead of backward, 
therefore when you lie on the front of the body every 
organ works with less restriction than when you are 
on the back. 

The blood vessels which carry the blood to and 
from the heart are located between the vertebrae and 
the organs of the trunk. When you sleep on the 
back the weight of these organs pressing on the blood 
vessels interferes with the circulation making it diffi- 
cult for the heart to perform its work during the night. 
Circulation is much freer when this pressure is re- 
moved. 

Again, when you lie on the back, the weight of the 
stomach pressing on the solar plexus, one of the large 
nerve centers of the body, is apt to disturb digestion, 
while the other position allows the stomach to fall 
forward where it belongs and this difficulty is re- 
moved. 



90 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Causes of Insomnia. 
When the muscles are tense there is a constant 
drain on the nervous system, and it is often difficult 
to sleep. If you do sleep with tense muscles, you do 
not rest properly and usually feel dull and tired in the 
morning. A few simple, loose, free, relaxing exercis- 
es, such as those outlined in the chapter on "Nervous- 
ness" will help to do away with this tention, thus 
hastening sleep and helping the system to store up 
instead of waste energy during the night. 

Lack of Mental Relaxation — Thought, worry or any 
wrong mental state keeps the bl#od in the brain, and 
restful sleep never comes until the brain is drained 
and allowed to quiet down. 

Never worry about insomnia. If you can't stop 
thinking, try at least, to control your thoughts, direct 
them into pleasant channels if possible and let them 
run on, they may lead you to dreamland. 

Have you ever heard the clock strike twelve and 
thought "Here it is midnight and I haven't slept a 
wink. I just must get to sleep before one o'clock. 
Here I have a hard day's work ahead of me and I will 
be all worn out and in no condition to do it. I just 
must get to sleep before that clock strikes again." 

How easy it is to work yourself up into a nervous 
state and how much more difficult that makes it for 
mental or muscular relaxation to come. 

Instead of worrying and fretting about it, try to 
think something like this, "How tired 1 am, and how 
good it seems to lie here and rest. I'm perfectly re- 
laxed and resting any way and I'll soon drop off 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 91 

asleep. " Then try slow, deep, lazy breathing, let 
ting each breath slip away without effort. The deep 
breathing and relaxation helps to equalize the circu- 
lation and quiet the tired nerves, and the mental con- 
trol helps to drain the blood from the brain. 

Excessive Fatigue Causes Sleeplessness — Often a 
person is too tired to sleep. Excessive fatigue causes 
an excitement of the nervous system and makes a 
person wakeful. A warm or tepid bath is a wonderful 
help in a case of this kind. 

Poison Circulating in the Blood — When the system 
is clogged with waste matter and the blood full of 
poison there is an irritation of the nervous system 
which often interferes with restful sleep. 

The chapters on elimination and the five elim- 
inating organs will tell you what to do in order to free 
the blood from poison. 

What to Do for Insomnia. 

There may be many underlying causes for sleepless- 
ness but the immediate cause is always a congestion 
of blood at the base of the brain. 

In order to get permanent relief you must find out 
the cause of the congestion and treat that, but any 
thing which will start the blood to circulating and re- 
lieve the pressure on the brain will afford relief for the 
time being. 

Below are several ways by which this may be done. 
The one most effective in one case may not give re- 
lief in another so you will have to give some of them 
a trial and use the method which brings most satis- 
factory results to you. 



92 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Rising on Tiptoes, — Rising on tiptoes has a tendency 
to draw the blood down into the legs and feet, and it 
can be practiced while you are making preparations 
for bed so no time need be wasted. 

Massage. — Rubbing the feet and legs vigorously will 
draw the blood down from the brain. This massage 
may be done with the hands, but it is easier and just 
as effective to use the feet alone for this exercise. Lie 
flat on the back and rub the top of the left leg with the 
bottom or ball of the right foot. Place the right foot 
on the thigh and rub vigorously downward over the 
knee until you reach the toes, then draw it quickly 
and heavily back up to the hip again. Continue this 
for some time, then place the right foot below the left 
thigh and continue the same movement, this time the 
top of the right foot massaging the under part of the 
left leg. Then alternate the movement using the left 
foot over the right leg. A few moments of this exer- 
cise will leave the feet and legs warm and tingling. 
Never try to sleep with the feet and legs cold, for even 
though you may drop off asleep, the muscles are apt 
to be tense, and the circulation disturbed and you will 
not rest as you should. 

Head Relaxation — Rolling the head loosely around 
in a rotary motion helps to loosen the tension and 
free the blood current so that the congestion is re- 
lieved. Often the muscles of the neck are so tense 
and stiff that this exercise causes pain, but persistent 
effort gradually relaxes the muscles until the head can 
roll around without effort. If you do not succeed in 
loosening the tension in this manner, try massaging 
the neck and shoulder with the finger tips. Begin at 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 93 

the base of the brain and follow the muscles down- 
ward, then on outward along the shoulders, using a 
vigorous rotary motion with the finger tips. As long 
as this nervous tension remains at the back of the neck 
the blood cannot flow freely, and more or less insomnia 
is certain to trouble you. If your case is so serious 
that you cannot relieve the tension by the above 
mentioned methods, you had better consult an oste- 
opathic physician. A few such treatments will un- 
doubtedly give you decided relief and you may be 
able to manage the situation yourself after a short 
course of treatments. 

The Cold Compress for Insomnia — Wring two 
Turkish toweling wash cloths from cold water, pre- 
ferably ice water, place one on the forehead, the other 
at the base of the brain, bind them on with a towel 
and get into bed. The cold water drives the blood 
away from the head, thus relieving the congestion. 
Many people find this a very effective method, while 
others get better results from a hot application at 
the back of the neck. 

The Hot Foot Bath — Soaking the feet in hot water 
will start the blood to flowing downward from the 
brain. After holding the feet in hot water a few 
minutes they are always red as far up as the water 
has reached which indicates that the blood has been 
drawn down into the feet and legs. 

A hot water bottle, soap stone or electric pad will 
serve the same purpose. The constant use of a hot 
application of this kind will make the feet tender and 
more susceptible to the cold, but the occasional use 
of it is entirely justifiable. 



94 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Eating Draws the Blood Down from the Brain — 

Many people find that eating something light just be- 
fore retiring helps them to get to sleep more quickly. 
It is true that food taken at that time draws the blood 
down into the stomach thus helping to relieve the 
brain but it is very doubtful whether this method can 
be recommended. Certainly it cannot be, as a reg- 
ular practice, for the overworked stomach needs all 
the rest it can get, and its burdens are heavy enough 
without adding to them a ten o'clock or midnight 
lunch. 

How To Begin The New Day. 
Let the Vital Force Come Slowly Back Into Action. 
— Do not jump out of bed the instant you come to con- 
sciousness and begin dressing rapidly. Save a few 
minutes for yourself in which to stretch and yawn and 
let your vital force come slowly back into action. The 
heart action is diminished nearly one half during 
sleep and should have a few minutes in which to get 
back to normal beating. It is a great shock not only 
to the heart but to the nervous system as well to begin 
rushing around immediately after awakening from 
sound sleep. If you depend upon an alarm clock to 
arouse you in the morning set it so that it will go off 
about ten minutes before you feel that you must get up. 

The Morning Bath. — It is splendid to have either the 
cold sponge or air bath in the morning before taking 
up the daily routine. Suggestions in regard to these 
will be found in the chapter on "The Skin." 

Fill the Lungs With Fresh Air — If possible, take a 
few deep breathing, waking up exercises before you 
dress. The vigorous exercises properly come in the 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 95 

morning for they stimulate the circulation and put you 
in trim for the new day. 

Flush the System With Fresh Water — Drink a glass 
or two of water at least a half hour before breakfast. 
Flush the mouth, throat, and stomach, washing out the 
poison which remains from yesterday and get the 
system ready for the new food of the new day. 

Air the Bedding — Form the habit of throwing the 
bed clothes down over the foot of the bed, and with 
windows open, let them air several hours before the 
bed is made. Through the hours of the night the skin 
has been casting off poison, and the bed coverings are 
saturated with it, therefore they should be thoroughly 
aired every morning in order to keep them sweet, 
fresh, and sanitary. A habit of this kind can be 
quickly and easily formed, and can be acquired by 
children as well as by adults. 

Eight Hours Sleep Usually Required. 

Eight hours of sleep is the amount needed by most 
people in order to keep the body in proper condition. 
People of nervous temperament who work under ten- 
sion a large part of the time often require nine hours. 

After the organs have worked a certain number of 
hours the blood becomes so clogged with waste that 
no further good work can be done until, some of the 
poison is cast off and fresh oxygen is substituted. 
When the system reaches this stage Nature sends out 
a danger signal in the form of fatigue. This is really 
the chief cause for sleep. The blood is then sent to 
the trunk and the various organs take up the work of 
casting off the poison and supplying the blood with 
oxygen and new life. 



96 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

When your furnace fire becomes smothered by an 
accumulation of ashes and cinders, it burns low until 
the grate is dumped and the air allowed to enter, then it 
burns brightly again. A similar action takes place 
in our bodies during sleep. This is the reason that 
we should have fresh air to breathe during the night, 
and it is necessary to lie in a relaxed position so that 
the blood can circulate freely. 

It has been demonstrated that this process requires 
from six to eight hours. Many young people foolish- 
ly pride themselves on being able to get along with 
four or five hours sleep and argue that that amount 
is entirely sufficient. When a person is young and 
full of vigor the body can stand abuse far better than 
it can in later life, and the effects are not so appar- 
ent, but vitality is being sapped nevertheless and 
there is likely to be a reckoning day later on. Nature 
is entirely just and fair, but relentless, and when 
dealing with her we reap what we sow. 

Beauty Sleep. 

Sleep which comes in the early hours of the night is 
usually more refreshing than that which comes to- 
ward the break of day. The reason for this is quite 
apparent, for toward morning the day noises begin to 
play upon the auditory nerves, and light effects the 
optic nerves, both* of which excites and disturbs the 
brain, often causing dreams and broken rest. 



HEALTH RULES AND DAXGER SIGXALS 97 

INDIGESTION 

CHAPTER XI. 

Some Bad Habits In Regard to Food. 

"Pay more attention to ingestion as well as diges- 
tion and thereby avoid much indigestion." 

Indigestion is nature's gentle hint that the food we 
have eaten is not what is needed ; it is the stomach 
trying to send out a danger signal to warn us of our 
mistakes, and start us along the correct road. 

Food Should not be Excessive in Quantity — One 
noted physician says, ''One fourth of what we eat 
keeps us, the other three fourths we keep at the risk 
of our lives." 

We hear much about intemperance in drinking, but 
very little about intemperance in eating, and yet there 
is really very little difference as far as the individual 
himself is concerned, except in popular opinion. Glut- 
tony is a sin which must be answered for by sickness 
and suffering. 

Educated, cultured people are beginning to appre- 
ciate the fact that a trained and controlled appetite is 
a mark of culture and just as essential as a trained 
mind when it comes to progress and general efficiency. 

The amount of food required is measured by the 
physical activity. The man who does vigorous, mus- 
cular work in the open air needs, and can take care of 
more food than the one who does mental work in doors. 
A large amount of food and little exercise is certain 
to make the mind and faculties dull and sluggish, in- 
stead of alert and active. 



98 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Food Should be Thoroughly Masticated — If the 

mouth does its work well, the stomach is saved from 
many extra burdens. The food is supposed to be 
ground by the teeth, moistened by the saliva and 
thoroughly prepared for swallowing. The mouth is 
the only digestive organ provided with teeth, and 
therefore the only one designed for this grinding proc- 
ess. If the mouth shirks, the stomach has to come 
to the rescue and attempt the extra work when it al- 
ready has plenty of its own. 

Children should be taught to eat slowly and chew 
the food well, for it is a matter of habit, and as any 
other habit, it is a difficult one to break when once the 
wrong one is formed. 

A Person Should Not Eat When Very Tired— Many 
severe cases of indigestion are caused by eating 
heartily when one is worn out physically. Digestion 
is a muscular process and when the body is very tired, 
the stomach is tired, and in no condition to care for 
food. Usually, under these conditions, there is no ap- 
petite, yet few people realize that the lack of appetite 
is a signal sent out by Nature as a warning that no food 
is required at that time. How often we force our- 
selves to eat "just a little to stay the stomach" and 
how often we urge those about us to eat something 
"just a little toast or something" when they are in- 
disposed and have no desire for food. Nature is far 
more capable of caring for us than we are of looking 
after ourselves and we would be much farther along 
on the road to Health if we would trust to her guid- 
ance more and to our own foolish fancies less. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 99 

The Mental State Affects Digestion — Worry, excite- 
ment, fear or grief quickly affects the digestive pro- 
cess. When food is eaten the blood is sent to the di- 
gestive organs to manufacture digestive juices and help 
those organs perform their work. Worry or any 
wrong mental state draws the blood up to the brain 
and interferes with digestion. Prof. Cannon of Har- 
vard University demonstrated this with his experi- 
ments on cats. He fed the cats food mixed with bis- 
muth powder which turned the food black and then by 
means of X-Rays he watched these organs at their 
work. He found that as long as he petted the cats 
and kept them purring and happy, the process of di- 
gestion went on, but as soon as he began pulling their 
tails and annoying them, just that soon the move- 
ments of these organs ceased and digestion stopped. 

Professor Parlow, a Russian, tried similar experi- 
ments with dogs. In one room he kept several dogs 
confined, and in a small iron cage in the center of the 
room one dog was kept a prisoner. These dogs ate the 
same food, breathed the same air and lived under the 
same conditions, except that the one in the cage was 
discontented, struggling constantly to get free, while 
the others romped and played at will. This experi- 
ment was tried many times and each time the im- 
prisoned one developed some malady while the others 
remained healthy and vigorous. This simply proves 
that the body is quickly affected by the mental state. 

You may go to the table ravenously hungry after 
hours of exercise in the open air, find just the food 
that appeals to you, start eating it with a relish, then 
let a telegram be handed to you containing bad news 



100 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

and instantly all desire for food leaves you. What 
has happened? Simply this, while you are hungry 
and the mind is in a calm, happy state, the blood is 
about the organs of digestion getting ready to take 
care of the food you are about to eat, then comes 
the mental shock and the blood is switched off to the 
brain. This leaves the digestive organs in no condi- 
tion to care for the food so Nature very kindly with- 
draws the appetite. If you are wise you will let 
Nature have her way in a case of this kind, for many 
serious consequences have followed enforced feeding 
when appetite has flown. 

Children should not be scolded at meal time. If 
they are to be corrected, some other time should be 
chosen, because just as soon as you begin to trouble 
their little brains, just that soon the blood is switched 
off from the digestive organs, and the food eaten will 
not be properly cared for. 

The meal hour should be one of the happiest events 
of the day. If you have funny stories, and happy 
things to relate, tell them when you are gathered 
around the family board. Never allow the dining 
table to be the place where you talk shop or discuss 
unpleasant family problems, for as has been shown, 
the mental state plays an important part in the work- 
ings of this bodily machine, and you can control it 
to a large extent if you choose. 

Food Should Not Be Taken At Too Frequent In- 
tervals — The habit of eating between meals is a very 
injurious one and once formed is a difficult one to 
break. 

The regular three meals which most people eat, 
coming as close together as they do, often give the 






HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 101 

stomach more work than it can attend to, for it takes 
the average meal five or six hours to digest and leave 
the stomach empty. Common sense, even if we have 
no knowledge of physiology tells us that the stomach 
should have some time for rest in the course of the 
day. Now if we add to the three meals, lunches of 
fruit, popcorn, candy or cracker-jack, it isn't difficult 
to understand that we are putting a burden on the 
digestive organs which is more than the average 
system can bear indefinitely. 

The American idea of a celebration seems to be to 
stuff the body with all .kinds of eatables. New Years, 
Christmas, Thanksgiving, what do we do? Usually 
we invite in our best friends, gather them around a 
table which fairly groans with rich, tempting food, 
and then we eat and eat. One course follows another 
until we can eat no more, and then we feel dull and 
sluggish for days while the eliminating organs strug- 
gle with the surplus w r aste, and make a strenuous ef- 
fort to cast off the poison and keep us from an at- 
tack of illness. I sometimes wonder if this is the 
proper way to worship our Creator, by abusing our 
bodily temples and breaking the laws of temperance 
and moderation which He has laid down for us to 
follow. 

Go to one of our summer resorts and note how peo- 
ple spend their vacations. You will find a refresh- 
ment stand at almost every turn of the way, and near- 
ly every person you meet, be it forenoon, afternoon or 
evening, is eating something from a paper bag. Away 
from the regular daily routine, with nothing to occupy 
their minds or fill the vacant moments, a desire for 



102 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



food seems to manifest itself, especially when there 
is a temptation on every side. So they yield when- 
ever the lull comes, and finally the habit grows into 
a diseased hunger over which they have no control. 
After eating your regular meals try forming the habit 
of cleaning the teeth and then resolve that you will 
put nothing, except water, into the stomach until the 
next meal hour arrives. Even though it be a sacri- 
fice at first, it will prove to be worth the effort, for the 
complexion will clear out, the general health will re- 
spond and you will feel like a new person. 

In many towns even the Women's Literary Study 
Clubs, supposedly organized for the intellectual up- 
lift of the members, feel that they cannot meet without 
refreshments being served. True, the idea at the or- 
ganization is usually simple, light refreshments for 
sociability sake, but how long does it take for the 
idea to develop into a two or three course dinner? 
Each hostess feels that she must have everything 
just as nice, and if possible, just a little nicer than the 
one who preceded her, and so she adds a little sur- 
prise or two. So it goes until nothing short of a 
banquet is acceptable. How much intellectual in- 
spiration does the hostess get out of such an occasion? 
Unless she has servants to do the work, she gets 
nothing but a tired, nervous, physical condition from 
which she requires a week or more to recuperate. 

One of the large problems which confront our col- 
leges today is the "spread" habit. Many of our col- 
lege girls are almost living on indigestible concoctions 
made in the chafing dish, or sweets obtained from 
ice cream parlors or delicatessen shops. They eat 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 103 

these things during the vacant periods, and then when 
regular meal time arrives they have no appetite for 
wholesome food. 

It is a deplorable fact that young women are going 
out from our American colleges every year broken 
in health, many of them almost nervous wrecks. Over- 
study is frequently named as the cause, when in the 
majority of cases it is irregular eating and indigest- 
ible food that is responsible. 

Having spent eight years as a teacher, living all of 
that time in college dormitories in close touch w 7 ith 
the young women, I am convinced that the condition 
is a serious one, and one which our colleges must face 
if the health of the students is brought and kept up 
to the standard. 

"Let us strive to put down these mere animal pro- 
pensities in us and begin to strive for higher things. 
Let us work for clean healthy bodies, which are the 
instruments, the temples of our minds and souls, rather 
than for mere tenements in which blind forces may 
riot and leave in their trail, maladies and misery/' 

Below is a short clipping which has been helpful to 
many people, so I am putting it in these pages with 
the hope that it may cause others to have more re- 
spect for their stomachs and lighten their burdens by 
temperate eating. 

Leaves From a Diary of a Girl's Stomach. 

10 a. m. — Oh, dear; Another warm day. Wonder if I'll 
be abused as I was yesterday. If I am, I'm going to strike. 
Just disposed of a half-chewed breakfast. We ran for the 
train, which meant I was so jiggled about and so tired that it 
took me twice as long to do my work. Hope she gives me 
another hour or two of complete rest before anything comes 
my way. 



104 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

10:30 a. m. — Two glasses of ice water have just arrived. It 
will take all the energy I can pump up in the next hour to 
warm me up to normal again. 

10:50 a. m. — Half-chewed breakfast did not satisfy her and 
she bought some peanuts and started eating them. 

12 m. — Peanuts have dribbled along steadily ever since last 
entry. Think she has finished them, though. 

12:30 p. m. — Decided she wasn't hungry, and instead of a 
good solid dinner sent me down a cold egg-nog, heavy with 
chocolate. Could have managed it all right if it hadn't been 
so cold, but that makes it terribly hard to deal with. 

1:10 p. m. — More ice water. 

1:40 p. m. — Was mistaken about the peanuts. She found 
another handful in the bottom of the bag and now I have to 
tend to them. 

2:05 p. m. — More ice water. 

3:10 p.m. — She has been lifting some heavy books, and, 
as usual, used my muscles instead of her arm muscles, as she 
should have done. Tired me more than digesting a six- 
course dinner. 

3:20 p. m. — Someone has brought us a box of caramels, and 
she has started on that. 

4:30 p. m. — Have received something like a pound of car- 
amels since last entry. She just said, "Oh, dear, I don't feel 
a bit well. I know the milk in that eggnog must have been 
sour." 

6:30 p. m. — We played a set of tennis before dinner, and 
here I am all tired out and a dinner to handle. 

6:50 p. m. — We were invited out to have a soda before go- 
ing home. Had a lemon phosphate and then ran for the train. 

7:00 p. m. — Fried potatoes, veal, cucumbers and canned 
blueberries. What do you know about that? 

7:45 p. m. — We are going down for a chocolate walnut 
college ice. 

8:20 p. m. — Got home and found someone had made some 
lemonade. She drank two glasses. That on top of a college 
ice settles it. I strike! 

8:30 p. m. — Have sent back the college ice and lemonade. 

8:40 p. m. — Returned the blueberries. 

8:50 p. m. — And the veal. 

9:10 p. m. — She has sent for the doctor. She says that 
college ice must have something the matter with it. Her 
mother says it is probably the weak stomach she inherited 
from her father. 

9:30 p. m. — Doctor says it is just a little upset, due to the 
weather. Good night. 

Parents' Responsibility. 

Parents have a big responsibility in training the 




FIGURE XI 



[105] 




FIGURE XII. 



f306| 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 107 

eating habits of their children. Children should not 
be allowed to cultivate habits of gluttony or grow 
up to maturity without being able to distinguish be- 
tween true hunger and false appetite. True hunger 
is in the mouth, a watering at the mouth, a feeling that 
food is going to taste good ; false appetite is a gnaw- 
ing, burning "all gone" sensation in the stomach. The 
latter condition indicates an inflamed mucous mem- 
brane, and it is better to go without food for a few 
days, and let Nature restore the membrane to a healthy 
state. In the meantime drink freely of water. Often 
diluted lemon juice, orange or grapefruit juice hastens 
recovery. 

The difficulty is. our appetites become so pervert- 
ed from wrong living that they are not always a safe 
guide. This, emphasizes the importance of proper 
habits being formed in childhood. 

A Boy's Stomach. 
What's the matter with you. ain't I always been your friend? 
Ain't I been a partner to you, all my pennies don't I spend 
In getting nice things for you? Don't I give you lots of cake' 
Say stummick, what's the matter that you have to go and 
ache? 

Why, I loaded you with good things yesterday. I gave you 

more 
Potatoes, squash an' turkey than you'd ever had before, 
I gave you nuts and candy, pumpkin pie and chocolate cake, 
An last night when I go'd to bed you had to go and ache. 

Say what's the matter with you, ain't you satisfied at all? 
I gave you all you wanted, and you was hard just like a ball, 
An' you couldn't hold another bit of puddin', yet last night 
You ached mos' awful, stummick, that ain't treatin' me just 
right. 

I've been a friend to you, I have, why ain't you a friend o' 

mine? 
They gave me castor oil last night because you made me 

whine. 
I'm awful sick this morning, an' I'm feeling mighty blue, 
Becoz you don't appreciate the things that I do for you. 



108 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Eating on Trains. — While riding on poorly venti- 
lated trains and without exercise, we cannot take care 
of as much food as we can under ordinary conditions. 
It is well to substitute for meats and rich, heavy 
foods, at least a partial diet of fruits or nuts. Dates, 
raisins, figs and nut meats can be easily carried in 
your traveling bag and fresh fruit can often be ob- 
tained along the way. A diet of this kind has a large 
amount of food value and does not overtax the diges- 
tive and eliminating organs. 

If lunch counters must be patronized, instead of eat- 
ing hurriedly, with one eye on the clock and your 
nervous system keyed up to a high pitch over the 
possibility of missing the train, it is better to choose 
a few things that can be taken to the coach and eaten 
leisurely. 

Violent Exercise Should Not be Taken Near the 
Meal Hour — Violent exercise should not be taken 
within a half hour before, or an hour after eating a 
hearty meal. Vigorous exercise before the meal 
leaves the body tired and keeps the blood in the ex- 
tremities when the digestive organs need it. Exer- 
cise immediately after the meal draws the blood 
away from these organs and interferes with the work 
of digestion. 

It would be a splendid thing if housekeepers would 
get into the habit of relaxing a short time after the 
meal, letting the process of digestion get well started, 
before rushing about clearing the table and washing 
dishes. Again you may think I am advocating habits 
of laziness, but do not let that idea trouble you if 
better health and efficiency result from the practice. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 109 



COLDS 

CHAPTER XII. 

An ordinary cold is the effort of the system to 
throw off poison which has not been cared for by the 
eliminating organs. It indicates a clogged system 
and it is one of Nature's most ordinary methods of 
cleansing the body and freeing it from harmful waste. 
When the system gets in this clogged condition, a cold, 
instead of being looked upon as a calamity, should be 
considered a blessing, for when the blood is loaded 
with poison, Nature must find some outlet, and if re- 
lief is not given by means of a cold, the poison may 
be thrown off in some more serious form later on. 

Causes of the Ordinary Cold. 

Overeating — Overeating is perhaps responsible for 
more colds than. any other one thing. More food is 
taken than can be cared for by the digestive organs 
and this great accumulation of waste is often more 
than the eliminating organs can manage. Thus the 
system becomes clogged, every vital function is im- 
paired and Nature comes to the rescue and has a gen- 
eral housecleaning in the form of a cold. 

Overfatigue. — A cold often comes when the 
strength has been overtaxed, because at such a time 
vitality is lowered and the person is lacking in re- 
sistance power. If a little extra sleep can be obtained 
when the first symptoms are noticed, the cold can 
often be broken up. This gives the organs a chance to 



110 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

get caught up with their work, the nervous system gets 
a little rest, and the body is often enabled to throw 
off the poison and accumulate enough resistance pow- 
er to ward off the cold. 

Catching Cold from Exposure or a Draft — Catching 
cold from exposure or draft may frequently be the 
occasion of a cold but it can hardly be considered the 
cause. When a cold wind strikes a person causing 
a chill, the blood is sent at once from the surface of 
the body and congested about the organs of the trunk. 
Their work is hindered, if not entirely stopped for 
the time being, and every effort of the body is being 
exerted toward maintaining the normal heat, digestion 
and elimination are both affected, and the result is 
likely to be an accumulation of waste matter. Now if 
the body- is in good condition before this takes place, 
it may rally as soon as warmth is restored and no 
harm be done, but if it is already clogged, it takes 
longer for the organs to recover from the shock, this 
added amount of poison is often more /than the system 
can manage, and relief must come from some source, 
and the most ordinary source is a cold. 

Treatment for a Cold. 

A Short Fast — Eat very little or nothing at all for 
a few days and give the system a chance to throw 
off the poison. This suggestion usually calls to mind 
the old saying, "Stuff a cold and starve a fever." The 
modern interpretation of that is, "Stuff a cold and you 
will have a fever to starve." If a complete fast seems 
impractical, food should be chosen which will tax the 
digestive and eliminating organs as little as possible. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 111 

Rich, heavy food should be avoided by all means. Fresh 
fruits and fruit juices are the best, for they provide 
nourishment and require very little attention from the 
organs of digestion. Soups, if properly made, are 
good also. 

Aid the lungs by Deep Breathing. — Give the lungs 
a chance to throw off their share of the poison. If 
the patient is comparatively strong, a brisk walk 
will often break up a cold in its early stages. One 
should walk rapidly, and far enough to get up a free 
perspiration, breathing deeply all the time, thus aiding 
both the lungs and the skin in their work of elimi- 
nation. 

There should be plenty of fresh air in the home and 
especially in the sleeping room. This old idea of 
remaining shut up in a hot, poorly ventilated house 
when we have a cold, is fast giving place to more 
sensible, natural methods. If ever the lungs need 
fresh air it is when the system is trying to clean house. 

Aid the Kidneys by Water Drinking — Eat little and 
drink much when you have a cold, flush the kidneys 
and help them to cast off poison. The regular two 
quarts should be increased to three of four while the 
cold lasts. 

Aid the Skin by Sweat Baths — A good sweat bath 
is a wonderful help in freeing the system from poison. 
If you cannot have a Turkish bath, there are several 
ways by which a sweat bath may be taken in the home. 
Get into a tub of water, as hot as can be comfortably 
borne, then throw a blanket over the tub and remain 
until you are perspiring freely. It is a good plan to 
drink a glass or two of cold water before getting into 



112 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the tub, and there should always be a cold compress on 
the forehead and one at the base of the brain, to pre- 
vent the blood from rushing to the head. 

The sweat bath should be followed by a cold sponge 
or shower, in order to keep from catching more cold 
after it is over. 

Keep the Bowels Active — When the first symptoms 
of a cold are noticed, the intestinal canal should be 
relieved of its load of poisonous waste, either by means 
of a cathartic or an enema or possibly by the use of 
both. It is well to take a good dose of salts the first 
day and then use the high enema every day afterward 
until the cold has disappeared. Suggestions in re- 
gard to the internal bath are given in the chapter on 
"Constipation." 

The Cold Compress — Few people realize the value 
of the cold compress in the treatment of folds, and 
many who have given it a trial have not applied it cor- 
rectly and have not been benefited as they should 
have been. To prepare a compress for a cold in the 
head, first, wring a Turkish towling wash cloth out of 
ice water and place it upon the forehead, then place 
over this a piece of oil silk or mackintosh cloth, large 
enough to entirely cover it, and bind the two on with a 
woolen cloth and leave it during the night. The oil 
silk is inexpensive and can be obtained at any drug 
store. The object of its use is to keep the outside 
woolen cloth perfectly dry and to prevent the cold air 
from reaching the compress. If the cold has settled 
in the throat or on the lungs, iollow the same di- 
rections, but two wash cloths will be required for 
the throat, and if preparing a compress for the lungs, 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 113 

a Turkish towel will be none too large. The above 
directions were once given to a lady having a severe 
cold. She followed the suggestions with the excep- 
tion of the use of the oil silk and the woolen cloth. 
It was a cold winter night, and she was sleeping near 
an open window. Toward morning she awakened and 
found both the compress and the towel with which she 
had bound it on, frozen stiff. The towel had become 
wet from contact with the wet washcloth, and the 
room was cold, so it was an easy matter for it to 
freeze. The result was a much harder cold of course. 
She had been told about the oil silk, but had not con- 
sidered it of enough importance to make an effort to 
secure it, neither had she realized the value of the 
woolen cloth, which is designed to keep the bodily heat 
in, and the outside cold air from reaching the compress. 

How to Harden the System Against Colds. 

Use of an Atomizer. — I believe every one should 
spray the nose and throat frequently by means of an 
atomizer and some good antiseptic. This is rather a 
prevention of colds than a cure. Of course the use of 
some good spray helps to heal the mucous membrane 
and reduce the inflamation, but it will not stop the cold 
as long as there is waste matter to be thrown off. 
Nevertheless its frequent use helps tone up the mem- 
brane, keeping it healthy and giving it resistance pow- 
er. For the nose a weak solution of salt water makes 
an excellent spray. It should be followed, however, 
with some oily spray for the salt water leaves the 
membrane rather dry and parched. Liquid vaseline 
or any oily preparation provided by the druggist will 
moisten the membrane and leave it in good condition. 



114 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Fresh milk is excellent for this purpose. This can 
best be applied by means of the nasal douche. There 
are various preparations used for the mouth wash 
such as listerine, peroxide, etc., but the one most high- 
ly recommended by several physicians is extract of 
cinnamon. Care should be taken not to get this mix- 
ture too strong, but a few drops to a half a glass of 
water is sufficient. It should never leave a burning, 
stinging sensation in the mouth, if it does it is in- 
jurious and more water should be added. If extract 
of cinnamon cannot be obtained, any druggist can fix 
a mixture of oil of cinnamon and alcohol which will 
answer just as well. This is an excellent disinfectant 
and leaves a very pleasant taste in the mouth. 

The Cold Sponge or Air Bath — The cold sponge 
bath in the morning does much toward giving the skin 
resistance power and hardening a person against colds. 
If the cold water bath is too severe a measure, the cold 
air bath should be substituted, but even with the air 
bath people subject to frequent colds will find that 
cold water dashed over the throat and lungs every 
morning, will stimulate the skin and give it resistance 
power. 

Plenty of Fresh Air in the Sleeping Room — Breath- 
ing fresh night air instead of being a risk, liable to 
cause colds, it is one of the greatest preventatives 
known. Fresh air from outside, though it be cold 
and damp, is far more beneficial than warm, stale 
air, and not nearly so likely to produce a cold. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 115 



PHYSICAL EDUCATION 

CHAPTER XIII. 
A Few Suggestions to Teachers. 

What to Work for in Each Class Period. — 

1. Exercises for muscular development, striving to reach 
each set of muscles. (This work can be found in the chap- 
ter, "Exercises For Muscular Development.") 

2. Exercises for muscular control, working to get the mind 
in the ascendency and the muscular system in subjection to 
it. (This can be accomplished by military drills, and sharp 
order work, or anything which brings the mind into play 
and makes the pupil think and act quickly.) 

3. Exercises for muscular relaxation, teaching pupils to 
let go of tension. (Relaxation work can be found in the 
chapter on Nervousness.) 

4. Exercises for replacing displaced organs,' aiming to lift 
the organs into their proper position in the trunk and 
strengthening the ligaments so that the organs will be held 
in place. (Stretching exercises in the chapter on Poise are 
designed for this work.) 

5. Exercises to aid the digestive and eliminating organs 
in their work. (The special exercises in the chapter on "The 
Liver," both the liver squeezers and the movements for flexi- 
bility are splendid for this purpose.) 

6. Instructions in correct breathing. (There are many ex- 
cellent breathing exercises given in the chapter on "Breath- 
ing.) 

7. Work for poise and grace. (The exercises for poise in 
the chapter on "Poise" and the walking drill in the chapter 
on "Walking" are especially adapted for this purpose.) 

With careful planning, work for all the above pur- 
poses can be put in a fifty minute period, and this 
shoutd be done if all round development is to be ob- 



116 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

tained. For work in the rural schools or in the grades 
where but a few minutes can be devoted to this work 
each day, it would be well to use one exercise from 
each group, changing the movements from day' to day 
for the sake of variety. 

Qualifications of a Good Physical Director. 

1. To be a successful instructor of physical training you 
must believe what you are teaching. 

2. You must be familiar with the anatomy of the body and 
understand the exact effect of each exercise given. 

3. You must practice what you preach. Your pupils will 
watch you, and if you tell them one thing and do the opposite 
yourself, your influence will count for very little. 

4. You must have a good idea of time and have good 
music to work with. Be sure your music fits your drill. 

5. You must have a good voice and know how to use it. 
Every order should be short and concise and given in a clear, 
distinct utterance so that it can be easily heard and under- 
stood in every part of the room. 

6. You must be a good disciplinarian. Never allow whis- 
pering or laughing during the class period. Every student 
should be working in unison with every other student, and 
this is impossible unless you have their attention and there 
is perfect order in the class. The mental training in gym- 
nastics is just as important as the physical. Discipline in 
any kind of teaching depends largely on the teacher's abil- 
ity to govern herself. If she has perfect self control she is 
likely to have no trouble controlling her pupils, but if she 
looses control of herself she looses the respect of the pupils 
at the same time and then trouble is likely to follow. 

7. Give a variety of exercises, every day. 

1. For the sake of keeping up the interest. 

2. For the all around development of the pupils. Al- 

ways have something new each lesson; try to keep 
the pupils in a state of expectancy. 

8. You must put enthusiasm into your work if you expect 
an enthusiastic response. 



HEALTH RULES AND DAXGER SIGXALS 117 

9. Never let things lag. When you get a class on the 
floor keep them doing something every minute until the end 
of the period. It may be relaxing, games, etc., but always 
have work well planned. Do not keep a class waiting while 
you are getting your ideas formulated; learn to think on 
your feet. 

10. There are two kinds of gymnastics. 

1. For recreation and fun. 

2. For health, grace and general development. There 

should be some of the former combined with much 
of the latter each period. 

11. You must know how to give commands. Make orders 
brief, concise and emphatic. Many teachers talk too much 
while directing a class. The use of the upward inflection is 
usually the most effective and a pause between the qualifying 
word and the order itself is helpful, thus — 

Forward — March 

Backward — March 
The words forward and backward mean think, the pause in- 
dicated by the dash gives them time to think, and the word 
march means execute the order. 

12. In demonstration work, when facing a class, always 
use your left arm when ordering pupils to use their right. 
This prevents confusion and keeps the entire class working 
together. 

13. Explain exercises to mature pupils; let them know 
what portion of the body is being affected, for this helps to 
stimulate their interest. 

11. Never tire pupils with exercises; just short of fatigue 
is the rule for physical work. 

Always have good ventilation while pupils are ex- 
ercising. Care should be taken, however, to avoid 
a draft while pupils are at rest, and especially while 
they are relaxing on the floor at the end of the period. 
When the work has to be given in the class room the 
windows should be thrown open and the pupils given 
some vigorous exercises accompanied by deep breath- 
ing. This ventilates the room and at the same time re- 
freshes the pupils, then close the w r indow r s and devote 
a few minutes to the rest work. 



118 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

With a fifty minute period, at least twenty minutes 
should be devoted to relaxation ; ten minutes, perhaps, 
of loose, free movements in standing position toward 
the middle of the period ; and ten minutes of complete 
rest in reclining position just before dismissing the 
class. Never send pupils from the class tired and 
perspiring. These few minutes of complete rest help 
to drive away weariness, and it gives them a chance to 
cool off gradually before leaving the room. 

In the rural schools or in the grades the relaxation 
work has an important place. Each teacher must use 
her good judgment, of course, in regard to when it is 
most needed, and how much time can be devoted to 
the work, but on general principles, gymnastics and 
especially the relaxing exercises are most appropriate 
when the pupils begin to get tired and restless. The 
deep breathing and the free movements equalize and 
stimulate the circulation, soothe the tired nerves and 
leave the pupils refreshed and better prepared for men- 
tal work. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 119 



HOW AND WHEN TO EXERCISE 

CHAPTER XIV. 

How — Rapid movements waste flesh, slow move- 
ments make flesh. Many times this little key to physi- 
cal exercise is omitted and people practice the exer- 
cises faithfully but incorrectly and fail to obtain the 
desired results. If you are above normal in weight 
and are working to reduce, practice the bending and 
twisting exercises rapidly. If you are thin and work- 
ing for development, do the exercises slowly. Physi- 
cal exercise, if practiced correctly, is supposed to 
bring about a normal condition. 

If you adopt a system of exercise, remember that it 
is regular, systematic practice that counts. A few 
minutes every day will mean far more than a longer 
practice at irregular times. 

Never strain in physical work and do not practice 
until exhausted. Just short of tired, is a safe rule to 
go by. 

Always work in loose clothing so that there will be 
perfect freedom of movement. 

When. — The time chosen for daily practice depends 
somewhat on your conditions of living. Often a per- 
son has to choose the most convenient time regard- 
less of directions, but, as a general rule, it seems that 
the vigorous, waking up, deep breathing exercises 
should properly come in the morning in order to get 
the blood to circulating freely and tone you up for 



120 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



the day's work. Then, after a day of labor and ten- 
sion, the loosening up, relaxing movements fit in well 
at night. They relax tired muscles, gently equalize 
the circulation, thus relieving the brain from congestion 
and quieting you down for a night of rest. 

The amount of time devoted to daily practice de- 
pends, largely on the amount of exercise you get in 
your regular routine. If you are willing to give but 
ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night to 
the practice you will find that it will work wonders 
for your general health. The more time you give to 
it, the more rapid and satisfactory the results will be 
of course. 






HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 121 



EXERCISES FOR MUSCULAR 
DEVELOPMENT 

CHAPTER XV. 

Muscles of the Arms and Legs. 

1. Stand, clench fists and place them on chest, then 
do the following movements. 

a. Right arm forcibly out at right, 4 times. 
Left arm forcibly out at left, 4 times. 
Alternate right and left, 4 times. 

Both arms, 4 times. 

b. Same as (a) thrusting arms forward 4 times. 

c. Same as (a) thrusting arms upward 4 times. 

d. Same as (a) thrusting arms downward 4 times. 

2. Clench fists and place them under the arms. 

a. Same as (a) in No. 1, 4 times 

b. Same as (b) in No. 1, 4 times. 

c. Same as (d) in No. 1, 4 times. 

3. Same as Nos. 1 and 2, combining a foot move- 
ment. As the right arm goes out toward right, tense 
the muscles of the right leg and touch right foot out 
to the floor on right side; then the left foot out to 
the left side as the left arm goes out toward left, then 
alternate the movement, and as both arms go out at 
side, rise to tiptoes. This combination gives variety 
and reaches both arm and leg muscles at the same 
time. 

4. Bicycle Movement — Imagine you have your feet 
on the pedals of a bicycle, then start running it, using 



122 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

force enough to keep the bicycle going. Then draw 
on your imagination still further and imagine that 
there is a bicycle suspended above your head, and that 
it is upside down. Now place your hands on the 
pedals and start pumping it with the hands. Remem- 
ber that the bicycle pedals go around in a circle so 
the arms must make a circular motion, pumping di- 
rectly upward as pedals go around. 

Then cQmbine the arm and foot motion keeping 
both bicycles going at the same time. This is a won- 
derful exercise for muscular development but it is 
rather strenuous and should not be practiced long at 
a time. 

5. Place right foot out at right diagonal, bend for- 
ward toward right diagonal, grasp an imaginary pulley 
in each hand, and come slowly up to erect position, 
pulling steadily until hands reach the chest, then re- 
lax and let hands drop limply at sides. Same on left 
side. 

For Muscles of the Abdomen and Back. 

1. Lying flat on the back, draw feet along on the 
floor up toward the body, with knees bent and raised. 
The feet should rest flat on the floor and almost 
touching the body. Now slowly and carefully raise 
the hips up from the floor, supporting the trunk with 
the muscles of the feet and shoulders. Raise hips as 
high as possible without a strain, then just as slowly 
and carefully let the hips sink back to place, never 
come back with a jerk. You may not be able to lift 
the hips but a few inches at first, but as you practice 







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HEALTH RULES AXD DANGER SIGXALS 125 

the exercise it will gradually become easier, and you 
will soon get the muscles under control. 

2. Lie flat on the back, take in a full breath, and 
force it all down into the abdomen, at the same time 
contracting the muscles of the chest, then, still hold- 
ing the breath, draw the muscles of the abdomen in, 
forcing the breath up into the chest; again, force the 
same breath back into the abdomen, then back up 
into the chest, then relax. 

This exercise is one of the most valuable ones I 
have ever found for the muscles of the abdomen and 
back and for the pelvic organs. Those muscles and 
organs are often weak and diseased because of poor 
circulation and bad blood. This forces good blood 
down into the abdomen thus massaging them and pro- 
viding them with nourishment. 

3. Stand, bend forward and place both hands on 
the floor in front of the feet, then lift the right hand 
and place it on the floor about a foot in advance of its 
original position, then advance the same distance with 
the left hand, then advance with right, etc., ciimbing 
out until the entire length of the body is supported 
by the hands and the feet. Don't allow knees to touch 
floor. Hold the position a few seconds then climb 
back, using first one hand then the other, until they 
get back to the feet, then come up to erect position. 

4. Stand, feet together, stretch arms above the head, 
clasp hands and pull firmly upward first toward right 
side, then toward left. Be careful not to strain either 
back or abdominal muscles. 



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126 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

5. Stand, feet together, bend forward stretching 
arms out in front of body, then stretch both arms 
firmly toward the right side, then toward the left. 
There should be a good, even pull on the muscles of 
the back, but no strain. 

6. Lying flat on the back, bend right knee, clasp 
hands under the right foot, inhale, then pull until knee 
touches chest, then push down with the leg pulling 
firmly on the muscles of the shoulders and back. Pull 
and push several times, then relax. Same with left 
foot. 






HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 127 



GAMES 

CHAPTER XVI. 

For the Playground and Gymnasium. 

The value of gymnastic games and organized play 
is coming to be appreciated more and more each year. 
We know now that much of the corrective and re- 
medial work formerly done in the gymnasium can be 
done by properly directed game's on the play ground. 
The play instinct is strongly developed among chil- 
dren, all that is needed is for it to be directed along 
the proper channels. 

There is a large place for this in the regular gym- 
nasium work, but it is in the grades and especially 
in the rural schools where its influence is to be most 
felt. Under present conditions in the rural schools, 
until consolidation becomes universal, I believe the 
problem of physical development must be solved by 
means of games and organized play, for with the 
limited time, and the multiplicity of subjects already 
required, it seems impractical to urge the teachers to 
devote much time to physical exercise. 

Below are given a list of carefully planned games 
which may be used during the periods of recreation. 
It will be necessary for these to begin under the direc- 
tion of the teacher, but there are usually, in most 
schools, older pupils who can be relied upon to take 



128 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the responsibility of directing them, at least part of 
the time after they have been carefully worked out. 

The aim is to combine stretching, bending and twist- 
ing movements with work for muscular development, 
and fair play, so that the children will get all around 
development both physical and moral. 

Over and Under. 

Over. — Have the pupils form in two or three rows according 
to the number playing, have them face the front, place a 
bean bag or a dumb bell in the hands of the leader (No. 1) 
of each row. Then, No. 1 takes it in both hands and passes 
it backward over his head to No. 2, who, in turn, passes it 
on to No. 3, etc. The article must be touched by both hands 
in passing, and must go directly over the head. When it 
reaches the last one in the line he must run to the head 
of his line and begin passing it backward in the same manner. 
The object is to see which line will be the first to get their 
leader (No. 1) to the rear of the line and back to the head 
again. 

This contest is always a popular one, and it is bene- 
ficial because of the upward stretching work and be- 
cause it makes the players think and act simul- 
taneously. 

Under. — This is conducted in the same manner, except that 
the lines stand with feet apart, then stoop forward and pass 
the article between the legs. 

Here they get a bending instead of a stretching movement. 

Wood Tag. 

In this game there should be some small blocks of wood 
(just large enough to be easily seen in the grass) distributed 
about the yard where the game is to take place. There 
should be as many blocks as there are players, then one 
player is chosen as "It." The rest of the players choose a 
place where they can touch a block of wood with their foot, 
then the one chosen as "It" calls "Change" and every player 
must change to another place. While the change is taking 
place "It" tries to touch some one before he can reach an- 
other piece of wood and the one caught becomes "It." 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 129 

Stone. 

Two goals are marked off some distance apart and a large 
base marked midway between the tw r o. One player chosen 
as "Stone" lies down on the base and the other players, who 
have been stationed half at one goal and half at the other, 
advance toward the center and dance around stone. Sud- 
denly Stone jumps up and all flee for goal. As many as 
Stone touches off goal become Stones. Then the first Stone 
becomes captain and those caught become his assistants. They 
all lie down on base until the captain calls "Up" then they 
jump up and chase the others toward goal. This continues 
until all become Stones. 

Straddle Ball. 

Form a circle, feet apart, touching feet of neighbor on 
either side. One player in the center tries to throw a basket 
ball between the feet of the players, or between two play- 
ers. Those in the circle strive to bat it back with the hands 
but the feet must remain stationary. Player whose feet it 
went between or to whose right it passed, must take place 
of the center one. 

The bending and twisting as players strive to ward 
off the ball, as well as the muscular work necessary 
makes this an excellent game from a health stand- 
point. 

Straddle Pin Ball. 

This game cannot be played unless Indian clubs are avail- 
able, but if the teacher can have Indian clubs, it makes a 
very attractive game. 

Players form a circle, standing with feet apart and an In- 
dian club standing upright between the feet. One player 
in the center strives to knock the clubs down by tossing 
basket ball against them, while each player tries to protect 
his own club by warding the ball off with the hands. The 
player whose club is knocked over must change places with 
the one in the center. 

This game is similar in its effects to Straddle Ball, 
but the use of the Indian clubs make it a little more 
interesting. 



130 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Kick Ball. 

Players form two lines about four feet apart, sitting on 
the ground facing each other, then they rest their weight on 
the hands which are placed on the ground behind. The 
teacher then tosses a basket ball along between the lines 
and the players try to kick it over their opponents heads. 
When the ball is kicked over, one point is counted for the 
side making the score. 

Wall Kick Ball. 

Players form in two lines at the side of the school build- 
ing, sitting on the ground facing each other, resting the 
weight on the hands placed back on the ground. The umpire 
tosses the ball down between the lines and the players try 
to kick it over their opponent's heads. When the ball is 
kicked over, the player next to the building on the success- 
ful side, runs and gets the ball and takes her place in her 
line on the umpire end. The player on the losing side who 
sat opposite her runs at the same time, touches the umpire 
and takes her place in her line on the umpire's end. The 
player in place first wins a point for her side. Continue until 
all have had a chance to run. 

These last two games bring into play every muscle 
in the body and call for mental concentration as well. 

Three Deep. 

Players form in two circles, an equal number of players 
in each, those in inside circle standing directly in front of 
those in outside circle. Two players are chosen, one to be 
"It" and one to be "Catcher." "It" runs and takes a position 
in front of some one in the inside circle, this makes the 
players three deep which is not allowable, so the third one 
must run and take a position in front of someone in the in- 
side circle, again causing the line to be three deep. The third 
one is always in danger of being caught until he is stationed 
in front of some one in the inside circle, so this necessitates 
constant changing, and the "Catcher" is always busy trying 
to touch No. 3 while he is looking for a place. No. 3 upon 
being caught becomes "Catcher" and the former "Catcher" 
runs for a place. 

I know of no game that furnishes better mental 
gymnastics than this, the players must be on the alert 
every second, and the constant shifting from place to 
place gives plenty of muscular exercise as well. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 131 

Line Tag. 

From three lines facing front, join hands thus forming 
two aisles. No. 1 on first line runs and tags some one on 
the back No. 6 for example. No. 6 then runs after No. 1 
through aisles and around the classes never passing under 
the joined hands. Suddenly the order — "right face" — is given, 
and players drop hands, right face and join hands again 
forming aisles, so runners must change their course ac- 
cordingly. The teacher should give the order suddenly. 
When No. 6 has tagged No. 1 two others take their places. 

Bean Bag Contest. 

Players from two lines facing each other and several 
feet apart. A pile of bean bags, six to ten in number are 
placed on the ground at the head of each line. At a given 
order No. 1 of each line picks up one bag with the hand 
nearest, touches it to the ground, takes it in the other hand 
and passes it to No. 2. No. 2 takes it in the first hand, 
touches it to the ground and passes it with the other hand 
to No. 3, etc. Each player should take the bag in one hand, 
touch bag to the ground and pass it with the other hand. In 
the excitement the players are apt to be careless about fol- 
lowing the rules of the game but the teacher should insist 
on accuracy and fair play because this is one of the important 
elements in organized play. 

Red and Black. 

Two goals are marked off a good distance apart, and a 
dividing line midway between the two. Then the players 
are divided equally and one side named red and the other 
side black. The players stand back to back about three or 
four feet from the dividing line, then the teacher or umpire 
tosses up a bean bag which is red on one side and black 
on the other. If the red side comes up the umpire calls 
"Red" when the reds turn and chase the blacks, trying to 
touch them before they reach their goal and so put them out 
of the game. If the black side comes up, the blacks do the 
chasing. The chased that were not caught and the chasers 
form their lines again. 

The side catching all of the opponents first wins. 

Circle Around Clubs. 
Here is a splendid game for gymnasium use. It couldn't 
well be played on the play ground unless it were very level 
so the clubs would stand on end. 

_ Place from six to twelve Indian clubs on the floor in a 
circle about twelve inches apart. The players form in a 
circle, with clasped hands, around the clubs and pull each 
other around, each trying to make their neighbor knock a 



132 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

club down. The players knocking clubs down have to drop 
out of the circle, and so on until but one remains, this one 
is winner. The object is to jump over the clubs or pull 
around them and stay in the circle as long as possible. 

The Cat and Rat. 

Choose one player for cat and one for rat. The others 
form a circle, with clasped hands leaving one gate only 
through which the cat can come and go at will, and the rat 
is favored by the players and allowed to go under the hands, 
but the cat is prevented from passing by stooping until their 
hands touch the floor. 

The cat starts on the outside and the rat on the inside. 
When the rat is caught the cat joins the circle, while the rat 
becomes cat and chooses a new rat for the circle. 

In this game almost all of the muscular system is 
reached and the free bending, and twisting together 
with the fun produced by the race makes it entirely 
worth while. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 133 



SPECIAL DRILLS FOR EXHIBITIONS 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Bean Bag Pile. (No. 1.) 

Players form in two lines facing each other. At one end 
of each line are piled ten or twelve bean bags. At a given 
signal the first player in each line takes a bag and passes 
it down the line, sending the others in rapid succession. 
When the last player in each line receives the bag he lays it 
on the floor in front of him, and as each bag reaches him, 
he piles it on the first one making a stack. The first bag 
is the only one which touches the floor. The stack must 
stand without assistance and should the pile fall over, the 
player must pile them up again. The line first succeeding 
in getting all the bags stacked is the winner. 

The last player, the one who stacked the bags, then car- 
ries them to the head of the line and becomes the passer 
for the next contest. 

Bean Bag Contest. (No. 2.) 

Players are divided into groups, and bean bags are placed 
in straight rows several feet apart, (five or six bags in each 
row and there should be as many rows as groups of players.) 
Each group forms in line at the head of their row of bags. 
A base should be marked out for each row, then at a signal 
Xo. 1 of each group runs forward, gets the first bag in his 
row and carries it back to his base, then runs forward for 
bag No. 2, places it on the base, etc. until all the bags are 
carried to base. Then No. 2 of each group takes a bag and 
runs forw T ard and places it on the same spot where bag No. 
1 had been, runs back and gets bag No. 2, placing it in its 
proper place in the row, etc., until all the bags are in place. 
Xo. 3 of each group carries them back to the base as No. 
1 has done, X~o. 4 places them in order again, etc. The line 
first completing the task wins the contest. The exact posi- 
tion of each bag must be marked in some way before the 
contest begins. 

Call Ball. 

Players are scattered promiscuously over the playground 
or gymnasium. One player in the center tosses the ball in 



134 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

the air and calls some one to run forward and catch it. If 
the one called succeeds in catching the ball before it bounds 
a second time he takes his place as tosser. Three failures 
puts a person out of the game. Much fun can be produced 
by the tosser calling players who are some distance away 
or taking them unawares. 

Tree Ball. , 

Each player, but one, chooses a tree or some object for 
goal and the odd player endeavors to tag one of the others 
by hitting them with a bean bag. The players try to prevent 
being tagged by jumping and dodging about. They are al- 
lowed to change goals frequently but must watch the tosser 
whose aim is not only to tag another player but to steal a 
goal and make some one else take his place as tosser. 

Simon Says "Bend." 

Players form a circle with the leader or teacher in the 
center. Teacher says "Simon says forward bend," or "Simon 
says right bend," etc., the teacher bending according to order 
and the players imitate the action. Then the teacher gives 
the order "Right bend," following the order as before but the 
players must bend only when iSimon says to do so. The 
first one caught in the error takes the place of the center 
player and gives the orders. Much amusement and fun can 
be had from this game and the free bending exercise is very 
beneficial but should not be continued long at a time, for it is 
rather strenuous. 

Japanese Crab Race. 

Players are lined up behind a starting line, in from two 
to five single files each containing the same number. Op- 
posite each file, at a distance of from twenty to thirty 
feet, there should be drawn a circle about three feet in 
diameter. At a signal the players of each line start running 
backward on all fours to the circle. The player who first 
reaches the circle scores one point for his team. 

This game causes the greatest fun imaginable and brings 
the muscular system into active play. 

Hopping Relay Race. 

Players are divided into groups forming single files about 
ten feet distant from goal. The goal may be a wall or a line 
marked on the ground or floor. At a signal No. 1 of each 
line hops on one foot to the goal, touches it with his hand 
and hops back, touches No. 2 of his own line, then takes 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 135 

his place at the real end of his line. No. 2 of each line hops 
forward, touches goal, returns in the same manner touching 
No. 3, etc. Each player takes his turn and the line whose 
last player first reaches the rear of his line wins the race. 

Hound and Rabbit. 

A number of players form in groups of three, facing each 
other with their hands on each others shoulders, each group 
making a circle which represents a tree. In each tree is 
stationed a player who represents a rabbit. Then there 
should be an extra rabbit and a hound. The hound chases 
the odd rabbit who seeks safety in a tree, but no two 
rabbits may lodge in the same tree so the rabbit already 
there must seek other shelter. When the hound catches a 
rabbit, that rabbit becomes the hound and the hound be- 
comes a rabbit. Rabbits and trees should change places 
frequently so that each can participate actively in the game. 

Slap Jack. 

Players are seated in a circle on the floor or ground. One 
player runs around the outside of the circle and tags an- 
other as he runs. The one tagged must jump up and run 
around in the opposite direction. When the players meet, 
they must shake hands. The object of both runners is to 
get back first to the vacant place. Whoever succeeds wins, 
and remains in the place and the one left out becomes 
runner, tagging some one else. 

The May Pole Dance. 

For programs in the open air when spectacular drills are 
desired, there is nothing more pleasing than the May Pole 
Dance, and it is equally appropriate for young people from 
the rural schools, grades, high schools or colleges. 

For the drill there should be an even number participating, 
from twelve to twenty, or even twenty-four; the pole should 
be from ten to twelve feet long and the streamers should 
measure from three to three and one half yards. Streamers 
about twelve inches wide make a more effective drill than 
narrower ones. 

The following is the order of the drill. 

A circle is formed around the pole, with the children fac- 
ing out toward audience. 



136 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

1. 

Salute audience 8 counts 
Turn toward pole . 4 counts 

Salute pole 8 counts 

Turn toward partners 4 counts 

Partners salute 8 counts 

Turn center 4 counts 

Pick up streamers 8 counts 
Advance toward pole (walking) 8 counts 

Salute pole 8 counts 

Turn toward audience 4 counts 

Salute audience 8 counts 

Advance to original place 8 counts 

Salute audience 8 counts 

Turn center 4 counts 

By salute we mean bend one knee low (the left knee when 
facing audience or pole, the knee away from the audience 
when saluting partners) bring right arm. up to chest with a 
slight flourish, droop head slightly forward, keeping chest 
erect. 

2. 
Dance 8 counts 

(Hop lightly on right foot, crossing left foot over right 
knee, then hop on left foot, crossing right foot over left knee, 
etc.) 

Girls turn toward right and advance once around the pole. 
(Advance thus — run lightly three steps and hop gently on 
count four, crossing foot over opposite knee, etc.) This 
makes girls hop beside; each boy and midway between. 
Girls advance until they get around to their partners, boys 
keeping time to the music by crossing first one foot, then 
the other over opposite knee. 

Partners salute 8 counts 

Girls turn 4 counts 

Then girls go back around to place in the ring, using the 
same step (run three steps and cross step.) 

Hold places 4 counts 

3. 

Boys walk toward center — 4 steps. 

Boys circle twice around the pole with the same run and 
cross step as used by the girls in No. 2. 

Girls keeping time as boys did in No. 2. When twice 
around boys turn — 4 counts. Retreat twice around and ad- 
vance to places in the circle. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 137 

4. 
Partners face 4 counts 

Boys advance right and on the outside. Girls advance left 
and on the inside. Advance with the same running step, this 
time boys and girls hop side by side every time they pass. 
When partners reach each other after passing once around 
they salute — 8 counts, then turn and retreat. 
When back to places in circle partners salute. 

5. 
Partners face 4 counts 

Salute 8 counts 

Then advance, boys pass right of first one they meet, then 
pass to left of No. 2, pass right of No. 3, left of No. 4, etc. 
Girls advance in the same manner, passing first to the left, 
then to the right, then left, etc., plaiting in and out until 
at least one third of the pole is wound, then drop streamers. 
There should be good, brisk, sprightly music for this, and 
the whole drill should be as light and air}' as possible. 

Rose Drill. 

Below is a simple but very artistic little drill which can 
be used indoors or out on the lawn. Long-stemmed roses, 
real or artificial, or any other flower with a long stem, such 
as chrysanthemums, carnations, etc., may be used. 

There must be an even number, and it would be well to 
have the girls about the same height. 

1. 
All form circle 

Partners curtsy 8 counts 

Turn center 4 counts 

Curtsy toward audience 8 counts 

Turn toward right 4 counts 

2, 

Girls circle once around, stems in inside hand with roses 
drooping over their heads. (Advance using follow steps, 
thus— glide forward with right foot on count one, left foot 
follows on count two and right foot advances again on count 
three, then the left foot leads off, etc.) 

Stop when back to places in ring and dance lightly — 8 
counts, (using cross step, one foot crossing lightly over 
opposite knee, etc.) 

3. 

Girls glide center and curtsy, then lift roses and form a 
pyramid in the center. 

Hold pyramid while boys glide once around in ring out- 
side. 



138 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

Boys stop when back to places in circle. 

Girls glide forward to places in ring and curtsy. 

4. 

Partners face, then advance, boys going toward right of 
first girl, then left of No. 2, right of No. 3, weaving in and 
out. 

Girls advance left of first boy, right of No. 2, left of No. 
3, etc. 

A figure is formed each time the boys and girls pass, and 
held four counts, thus, as boys pass right of girls" they 
stop, lift rose in right hand and let it curve over the girl's 
head, touch toes of right foot out to right, place left hand 
on hip and lean entire body slightly toward left, so that a 
straight line might be drawn from the head to the toes 
of the right foot. The girls assume the same position leaning 
toward the left, this makes each couple bend slightly to- 
ward each other and the stems of the roses cross above 
their heads. 

5. 

Form straight lines so that sides are toward audience and 
a wide aisle between parallel lines. 

Curtsy 8 counts 

Advance center and curtsy 
Glide back and curtsy 
Then Nos. 1 and 2 of each line (numbering from audience 
end) move slowly toward right (using audience as the 
front), Nos. 3 and 4 at the same time move toward left, 
Nos. 5 and 6, at the same time move toward the right and 
Nos. 7 and 8 toward the left, etc. This leaves them in 
groups of four and at equal distances apart. 

Then each group lifts roses forming a pyramid in the 
center and glides twice around in a circle. 

Next, couples join inside hands forming a cross with the 
arms, outside hands carry roses curved over the head. Glide 
twice around in circle. 

6. 
Drop quickly back to original places in circle, right face, 
clasp both hands on stem of rose, outside hand just below 
flower, inside hand at end of stem, rose pointing outward. 
Lift arms up in front about even with chest and advance once 
around using running hop step (run three steps and hop on 
count four, crossing foot over opposite knee). 
Then when back to place 

Face audience 4 counts 

Kneel 8 counts 

Toss roses over heads forming a pole in the center. 
Rise 4 counts 

Glide off. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 139 

SPECIAL DRILLS FOR GYMNASIUM USE 

CHAPTER XVIII 

The following drills are in common use in high schools 
and college gymnasiums today. The apparatus required is 
light and inexpensive, and within the range of every teacher. 

Pole Drill. 

Curtain poles from ten to twelve feet long should be used 
for this drill. Girls form in straight lines in groups of 
five or six each and several feet apart. Girls of each group 
take one pole in their right hands, and another pole in their 
left hands. All the groups work in unison. 

1. 

Lift right poles up at right shoulder 

high 4 times 

Lift left poles up at left shoulder high 4 times 

Alternate movement 8 times 

Lift both poles 4 times 

2. 

Same as No. 1 except that poles are raised above head. 

3. 

Same as No. 1, combining a foot movement. Touch right 
foot out to right as poles are raised right, then bring poles 
back to hips instead of returning them to sides. 

When both arms come up together, rise on tiptoe for foot 
movement. 

Same as No. 2, combining foot movement. 

5. 

Step forward with right foot to the 
right front diagonal lifting pole to 
right front diagonal 4 times 

Same with left 4 times 

Alternate 8 times 

Both arms without any foot move- 
ment 4 times 
6. 
Same as No. 5 stepping and pointing 
pole toward rear right diagonal 4 times 



140 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



Left 4 times 

Alternate 8 times 

Both arms without moving feet 4 times 



7. 

Pivot on heels and right face, right 
pole out in front of body shoulder 
high, left pole on hips 4 times 

Left 4 times 

Alternate 4 times 

8. 

Same as No. 7 having lines face each 

other 4 times 

Face apart 4 times 

9. 

Pivot on heels and charge toward 
right, bending knee low, poles 
shouldeV high 4 times 

Same left 4 times 

Alternate 4 times 

10. 

Lines face and charge 4 times 

Lines face apart and charge 4 times 

Alternate .4 times 

11. 
Same as No. 10, but charge, then kneel and hold four 
counts. 

12. 

Feet wide apart, right poles above head and well out to- 
ward right side, left poles out at left side hip high, making 
a diagonal slant from right to left poles. 

Bend toward right side letting right poles down toward 
floor while left poles go up toward ceiling, then bend toward 
left reversing the poles, then bring poles to position on hips. 

Same, beginning with the left pole raised above" head and 
right pole down. 

13. 

Then have lines lift inside poles with outside poles hip 
high on the outside and bend toward each other, then bend 
away from each other, coming to position with poles on hips. 




ONE POSITION FROM THE "VENETIAN FLORAL DANCE, 
GEORGE BISHOP. 

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CHILDREN'S CHAUTAUOUA AT HORTON, KANSAS— 457 CHIL- 
DREN IN FREE MORNING HOUR WORK. 




MOTHER GOOSE AS TRAINED AND PRESENTED BY A CIRCUIT 
CHAUTAUQUA. 




THE SPANISH SCENE FROM A PAGEANT PRESENTED AT THE 
JEFFERSONVILLE, MO., CHAUTAUQUA. 

I it'-' I 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 143 

For beginning students, this drill with the poles is one 
of the best that I have ever found because it makes pupils 
work in unison; when one moves all must do so, and one 
false move on the part of any pupil throws the whole line 
out of order, thus they soon learn to co-ordinate. The 
muscular work and the free bending also help to make it a 
valuable drill. 

Wand Drill (No. 1). 

For this drill, wands about three feet long and three- 
quarters of an inch in diameter should be used. Your fur- 
niture or hardware dealer can supply them at a very reason- 
able price (two or three cents each), so any teacher can 
easily provide her class with wands even if no apparatus 
is furnished by the school. 

For small children we use just the straight movements of 
the wand as given below, but for pupils in the eighth grade 
or older we add a twist to each movement making it ''The 
Twisting Wand Drill. " This twist is executed in the fol- 
lowing manner: — Clasp hands on wand, one hand at each end, 
palms up, raise the point of the right hand wand and bring 
it downward on the inside of the right arm and on around in 
a circle and straight out at the right side, the right wrist 
turning around with the wand and the hand slipping around 
on the wand. The hands turn completely over, the move- 
ment begins with the palm up, and the palm is up again 
after it makes the turn. Twist back to place in the same 
way. With a little practice this twist can be done quickly 
and easily. 

1. 
Wands out at right side shoulder 

high 4 times 

Left 4 times 

Alternate 4 times 

2. 
Wands pointing out at right diagonal 

shoulder high 4 times 

Left diagonal 4 times 

Alternate 4 times 

3. 
Wands resting on shoulder pointing 

right, back of head 4 times 

Left 4 times 

Alternate 4 times 

4. 

Wand back of head pointing toward right diagonal 

Left diagonal 

Alternate 



144 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



5. 
Wand held in vertical position against right side 
Left vertical 
Alternate 

6. 
Combine Nos. 1 and 2 doing the straight right and left, 
and the diagonal right and left, alternating from one to the 
other without coming to position between. 

7. 
Alternate Nos. 3 and 4 without coming to position between. 

8. 

Combine Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, thus — straight right and left, 
diagonal right and left, right and left back of head, diagonal 
right and left back of head, and do not come to position be- 
tween the movements. 

9. 

Same as No. 8 except that we insert the vertical movement 
between Nos. 1 and 2, and 3 and 4. 

This combination work is valuable because of the mental 
training. The instructor should have the pupils memorize 
the drill and rely entirely on themselves while giving it. 

Wand Drill (No. 2). 
1. 

a. Charge toward right, point wand toward right, shoulder 
high. 

b. Feet together, wand over head. 

c. Charge left, pointing wand left, shoulder high. 

d. Position. Hands should be at end of wand and palms 
down. 

2. 
a. Charge toward right front diagonal, wand out in front 

shoulder high (Chest should be held high and strong). 
1). Feet together, wand back of head. 

c. Same as (a) to left. 

d. Position. 



a. Charge to right front diagonal, wand pointing up to right 
diagonal. 

b. Hold same position of body, and shift the wand and point 
it down to rear left diagonal. 

c. Shift wand back up to right diagonal. 

d. Position. 

4. 
Same as No. 3 toward left. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 145 



a. Charge to right front diagonal, wand pointing downward 
to rear left diagonal. 

b. Shift weight back to the left foot (without moving feet) 
and shift wand upward to front right diagonal. 

c. Shift body forward, and wand back to rear diagonal (same 
as position a.) 

d. Position. 

G. 

a. Touch right foot out to the right side, swing wand out 
to right shoulder high. 

b. Swing right foot over to left side and touch toe to floor on 
left side, at the same time swing wand over end for end 
(right hand swinging over toward left). 

c. Swing foot and wand back over to right. 

d. Position. 

7. 
Same as Xo. 6 toward left. 

S.. 

a. Pivot on heels and face toward right diagonal, wand held 
high over head. 

■>. Charge right foot to right diagonal, while wand is taken 
in left hand and brought forward in a complete forward 
circle, then held in left hand pointing straight up toward 
ceiling on count three; right hand is held on hip. 

c. Swing wand in complete backward circle and catch in right 
hand on count three. 

d. Position. 

9. 
Same as No. 8 toward left. 

10. 

Change position of wands, holding them palms up and for- 
ward. 

Charge toward front right diagonal, twist wand and point 
it to upward right diagonal. (Twist is described in Wand 
Drill No. 1). 
Position. 

11. 
Same as Xo. 10 charging- and pointing wand toward rear 
right diagonal, using the wand twist. 
Same left. 

12. 
Same as 10 charging straight right. 
Same left 



146 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

13. 

a. Charge right diagonal twisting wand and pointing it up to 
right diagonal. 

b. Charge forward with left foot to left diagonal pointing 
wand up to left diagonal. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Pivot and rear face. Then charge back to place in the 
same manner, pivot and front face after the third charge. 
(Keep chest high and strong). 

Each exercise should be done about four times each and 
four-four time should be used. 

Wand Drill No. 3. 
1. 

a. Swing wand out to right side, touch right foot out to 
floor on right side with the left knee well bent. 

b. Wand stretched high above head, feet together. 

c. Same as (a) toward left side. 

d. Position. 
Alternate right and left — 4 times. 

2. 

a. Rest wand on shoulder back of head. 

b. Bend trunk forward. 

c. Come up to erect position. 

d. Position with wand down. 

3. 

Same as No. 2 bending backward. (Care should be taken 
not to strain the back). 

4. 

a. Swing right wand to right, touch right foot out to right, 
left knee bent low. 

b. Shift wand to left, bending right knee low. 

c. Wand over head. 

d. Position. 

5. 
Same as No. 4 toward left. 

6. 

a. Wand resting on shoulder back of head. 

b. Bend toward right. 

c. Come up to erect position. 

d. Bend left. 

e. Position. 

7. 

a. Swing wand to right, touch right foot out to right, bend- 
ing left knee. 

b. Lunge toward right swinging wand to left back of head. 

c. Lunge left, wand swinging right in front of chest. 

d. Position. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DAXGER SIGXALS 147 

S. 
Same as Xo. 7 toward left. 

9. 

a. Lunge forward right diagonal, wand pointing up to right 
diagonal. 

b. Lunge right leg around to rear of left leg, bend right 
knee, face rear left diagonal and point wand obliquely 
downward to left, behind body. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 

10. 
Same as Xo. 9 toward left. 

11. 

a. Lunge obliquely forward toward right, wand out to right 
diagonal shoulder high (both hands on a level). 

b. Bend trunk forward bringing wand within an inch or 
two of the floor. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 

12. 
Same as X'o. 11 toward left. 

13. 
Same as X'o. 11 lunging and bending toward rear. 

14. 
Have groups of four work together, all lunging toward 
common center, then all lunging away from common cen- 
ter. This makes a very attractive figure when well worked 
out. 

15. 

a. Lunge right foot front, wand stretched high above head. 

b. Lunge right foot to the rear, wand pointing rear, left 
hand clasping wand in front of right shoulder. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 

16. 
Same as X'o. 15 toward left. 

17. 

a. Bend knees, cross right arm over left (arms forming a 
cross). 

b. Jump to straddle position, changing position of arms, this 
time left crosses over right. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 



us 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 



Anvil Chorus (Dumb Bells). 

1. 

Bells on hips. 
Bells down at sides. 
Bells on chest. 
Bells at side. 
Bells behind back. 
Bells at side. 
Bells on shoulder. 
Bells at side. 

Repeat four times. 

2. 
Charge right foot to right oblique, bells on hips. 
Right face, feet together. 
Charge right foot back. 
Front face, feet together. 

Same to left side, bells still on hips. Repeat. 

3. 
Cross right foot over left, bells on hips. 
Pivot on toes and rear face, bells down. 
Again cross right foot over left, bells on hips. 
Pivot on toes and front face, bells down. 

Same left. Repeat. 

4. 
Pivot on heels and right face, bells on hips. 
Front face, bells down. 
Left face, bells on hips. 
Front face, right bell on shoulder, left bell out in front 

in position for anvil strike. 



Anvil strike sixteen times. 



6. 



Strike bells over head. 
Bells down. 

Strike bells in front shoulder high. 
Bells down. 
Repeat. 

7. 
Strike bells below waist in front. 
Strike bells behind body. 
Repeat four times front, four times behind body. 



Charge to right, strike bells over head. 

Position. 

Strike bells back below. 

Front strike. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DANGER SIGNALS 149 

Back strike. 
Front strike. 
Position. 

9. 
Interlude. 
Bells on chest. 

Bells out at side, palms front. 
Bells up toward ceiling. 
Bells front shoulder high. 
Bells at side shoulder high. 
Bells down at side. 

One sharp click in front of body below waist on count 
thirteen. 

10. 
Stamp right foot, gaining ground, two steps. 
Strike back below. 
Position. 
Same left. 
Repeat. 

11. 
Strike front below waist. 
Charge right foot to right oblique. 
Strike bells over head. 

Charge right foot back, strike back below. 
Sink to right knee and strike over head. 

Dumb Bell Drill. 
1. 
Run in place, at the same time combining the following 

arm movements — 

a. Bells on hips. 

b. Bells at sides. 

c. Bells out shoulder high. 

d. Bells stretching above head. 

Repeat this order four times. 



a. Jump to straddle position, bells out shoulder high. 

b. Feet together, bells strike over head. 

c. Charge right foot forward, right bell up in front at right 
diagonal, left bell back at rear diagonal (Hold four counts). 

d. Position. 

o 

o. 

a. Lunge forward to right, bells out in front shoulder high, 
palms down. 

b. Turn left, face rear without lifting feet from floor, simply 
shifting the weight, arms out at side shoulder high. 



150 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

c. Strike bells behind body. 
Strike bells front of body. 
Strike bells behind body. 

d. Position. 

4. 

a. Lunge forward right diagonal, right bell out in front 
shoulder high, left bell on shoulder. 

b. Lunge right foot around to rear left diagonal, bending 
left knee, left bell out shoulder high, right bell on shoulder. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 

5. 

a. Lunge forward right and strike bells under knee. 

b. Position, strike bells one sharp click behind body. 

c. Rataplan 4 clicks. 

d. Position. 

(Rataplan means clicking the little finger end of the left 
bell with the thumb end of the right bell, then reverse the 
movement turning bells toward right and clicking the right 
bell with the left, etc). 

6. 

a. Lunge right foot to the left front diagonal, bells out at 
side shoulder high. 

b. Lunge left foot to the right front diagonal, thumb ends 
of bells on head. 

c. Pivot on toes and rear face, hands on hips. 

d. Position 

Repeat coming back to front face. 

7. 

a. Lunge right foot to the right, right bell on left shoulder, 
left bell out at side shoulder high. 

b. Bend toward right, and touch thumb end of right bell 
to the floor, left bell on left hip. 

c. Same as (a). 

d. Position. 



a. Feet wide apart, bells on hips. 

b. Forward bend and touch thumb ends of bells to floor. 

c. Turn and face left, charging right foot over left foot, 
bells out at side shoulder high. 

d. Same as (a). 

e. Same as (b). 

f. Same as (c). 

g. Position. 



HEALTH RULES AXD DANGER SIGNALS 151 

9. 

a. Lunge right foot forward, click bells behind body. 

b. Click bells forward under right knee. 

c. Click bells behind body. 

d. Rataplan three times. 

e. Position. 

Rubber Ball Drill. 
A small ten cent solid rubber ball is used in this drill. The 
free hand is held on the hip through-out the exercise. Waltz 
time should be used. 

1. 
Toss ball from right hand and catch — 6 times. 
Same left hand. 

Toss from right hand and catch in left, alternating the 
movement — 12 times. 

2. 

Bound from right hand and catch — 6 times. 

Same left — 6 times. 

Alternate — 12 times. 

3. 

Toss from right hand, let bound and catch in left, alter- 
nating — 12 times. 

4. 

Toss under left arm, bending body toward right, catch 
ball in the left hand — 6 times. 

Alternating — 6 times. 



Step left foot forward, and toss ball under left arm to- 
ward left diagonal, bending body toward right. Catch ball 
in left hand, shift weight backward and toss ball under right 
arm, catching in right hand. Alternate — 12 times shifting 
weight backward and forward. 

6. 
Right arm at side, raise left arm at left side, and bound 
the ball over the left arm catching in left hand. 
Alternating — 12 times. 

7. 
Charge diagonally forward with left foot, knee bent low 
and bound ball over raised left arm. Sway weight back- 
ward and toss ball under right arm. Alternate — 12 times. 



Charge diagonally forward left foot, toss ball front with 
side arm circle from right hand, sway and bend body back 
and catch ball without changing position of feet — 6 times. 



152 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

9. 
Walking forward, toss ball from right hand catching in 
left alternating the arm movement. 

10. 
Combine walking with the alternate bound and catch move- 
ment. 

Medicine Ball Movements, 

Have the class form in a circle or parallel lines for the 
medicine ball work. Strive to get up a free perspiration, by 
keeping the ball moving rapidly from one to the other. 

1. 
Push ball forward from position against right shoulder. 

2. 
Rest ball against left shoulder and throw it, using both 
hands. 

3. 
Rest ball against chest and throw it, using both hands. 

4. 
Rest ball on head and throw it forward. 

5. 

Rest ball on right hip and throw it. 

6. 
Throw ball from position on left hip. 

7. 
Stand, feet apart, and toss from between legs. 

8. 
Turn back and toss backward from between legs. 

9. 
Round ball forward and bat it forward with hands. 

10. 
Take turns bounding it against the wall and catching it. 



HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 153 



CONCLUSION 

The value of such a book as "Health Rules and Danger 
Signals" is more than merely teaching the means of at- 
taining and preserving good health. Scientists, physicians, 
and metaphysicians now agree that mental suggestion 
is the cause of many of our ills. That is one of the great- 
est harms that patent medicines do. The very descrip- 
tions on the bottles become a diagnosis of the reader's ills, 
and he dopes himself for troubles which are all in the 
mind. The science of preventative medicine and the new 
therapeutics are not open to this serious criticism. 
"Health Rules and Danger Signals" is grounded on the 
newer and more practical philosophy, that is why it 
works by indirection. 

Teachers are now in a larger sense our best physicians 
because they are forming, through play, those habits 
which prevent disease, by building a stronger physique. 
The Chautauqua Movement has opened this great new 
field to thousands of young men and women who have 
fitted themselves to direct community play and communi- 
ty aspirations through play. One school of oratory here 
in Chicago last year graduated forty-six, thirty-three of 
whom went right from college to the Chautauqua plat- 
form as directors' of circuit Chautauqua play, a work 
which every Chautauqua features in some form or other. 

The University of Wisconsin conducts about seventy- 
five Chautauquas in the Badger state. The Wisconsin 
University, by the way, is recognized as one of America's 
greatest educational institutions, and here is its estimate 
of this kind of work : 



154 HEALTH RULES AND DANGER SIGNALS 

''Naturally the boys and girls have been uppermost in 
the minds of those who have the arrangements in charge. 
Wisconsin Chautauqua will offer facilities to the children 
and young people for wholesome recreation. A play- 
ground worker will remain in the community for six days, 
teaching the children games, telling them stories, talking 
to the parents about the welfare of the children, and in 
general stimulating and organizing the intellectual ac- 
tivities of the young people of the community. There is 
no intelligent person today who would question the value 
of this work. Every up-to-date city has a playground 
organizer ; every up-to-date home gives attention to play. 
The value of teaching children to play properly can not 
be overestimated. It socializes them, it teaches them the 
rights of others, it directs their energies along right lines, 
it developes them physically, morally and intellectually. " 

To teachers, parents, and far-sighted community build- 
ers, this book should make its strongest appeal. It is a 
book that should not be damned by being catalogued in 
the dusty tomb of any library graveyard. It is a tool, a 
guide, a living reality, and should be read, then studied, 
then used as a reference book. It should be distributed 
in numbers, for its real power lies in its ability to direct 
community health and happiness by promoting individual 
betterment 



